Friends With Benefits
by nissanity
Summary: "A lot of people don't want to be in a relationship. But most people are still interested in having sex..." - - NanoFate, Mature Content
1. Chapter 1 - The Tip of the Iceberg

**A/N:** Here is a new story set in the post-StrikerS universe. It is heavy on the NanoFate with** mature content**. And when I say that, I really do mean it. This story will be filled with it.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters from or the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha anime, nor any other movie, actor, song, or character referenced or stated in this story.

* * *

**__****Prologue**

Nanoha skipped ahead on the sidewalk and eyed the bridge ahead of her excitedly. The sun was beginning to set that early summer evening and she was anxious to reach her favorite spot on it before it was too late. She turned and walk backwards to coax her companion along. "Fate-chan, if we don't hurry we'll miss it!"

"Coming!" her best friend replied. Fate's flowing blond hair swayed behind her as she jogged to catch up to the russet-haired girl. They reached the bridge together just as the blood orange sun touched the calm silvery water across the horizon. The two middle schoolers squinted at the marvelous sight.

"Fate-chan, what do you want to be when you grow up?" Nanoha suddenly asked.

Fate's ruby-red eyes looked above her and she became lost in thought. "Um... I know I want to help people with my magic? I'm not sure how I'll do that exactly, though."

"Me, too! What else do you want to do?"

"I'm not sure what you mean? What else is there?"

"Well, do you want to get married and have kids? Do you want to be a wife someday, I guess?"

Fate gave a bashful grin and could feel herself blushing furiously at the question. "Well... I've never really thought it before. Maybe?"

Nanoha giggled at her reaction. "Nyahaha! I bet you'd make a great wife, Fate-chan."

"You would be a great wife too, Nanoha." Fate glanced over and saw the carefree girl now climbing up to the top of the narrow concrete wall in front of them. Even though she was in no real danger since she had Raising Heart with her, the action still made Fate a little anxious. She reached her hand up to hold Nanoha's in case she lost her balance.

Nanoha bent at the knees to face her directly from her position on the wall. "I bet we'll both make a good wives. We just have to date people first until we find the right person."

Fate's blush grew darker. "D-Don't you have to kiss and stuff when you're dating someone?"

"Fate-chan, kissing isn't such a big deal."

"Have you kissed someone before, Nanoha?!" Fate asked with a wide-eyed expression.

"No, not yet. I would have told you something like that, right?"

Fate let out a huge sigh of relief. "Good. I was worried I was going to be the only one who hadn't at this point."

"Is there anyone you would like to kiss?"

"I hadn't really thought about it. I wouldn't know what to do, honestly." Fate attempted to shrug casually at the notion but it came off a bit awkward. The idea of kissing someone else made her stomach turn in knots.

"Why don't we try it then?" Nanoha suggested. Sapphire eyes danced across Fate's confused expression in front of her. She then leaned forward and quickly kissed her on the lips before she could protest at the idea. Fate immediately brought her hand up to her face after Nanoha pulled away.

"Y-You kissed me...?" she stammered as her fingertips gingerly brushed over her now tingling lips.

Nanoha looked away and felt her face and ears growing hot. "Yeah, um... Sorry, I got caught up in the moment trying to help."

Fate paused and stared at her best friend in front of her in complete shock. Her sudden first kiss was surprising enough, but she never could have imagined who she would have received it from. "It's okay..." she eventually replied.

"What are friends for, right?" Nanoha added nervously. She jumped down from the wall and returned to face the sunset across the bay. Her hand eventually found its way back into Fate's after a few silent moments.

Fate finally smiled and turned to face her again. "Yeah... You're a good friend, Nanoha."

"I am your _best_ friend, Fate-chan." She extended her pinky finger in the air. "Always and forever, right?"

Fate returned the pinkie swear. "Always and forever," she confirmed.

* * *

**oOOOo**

**FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS**

by : ~Nissanity~

**Chapter 1 – _The Tip of the Iceberg_**

Fiery reds mixed with dusty orange hues, all contrasting with the cool blue waves dancing against the shoreline. The transmitter did not do Uminari's sunset justice when Nanoha pulled up the live image through Raising Heart. She had visited the scene almost every day these past few weeks, something she indulged in when she was feeling nostalgic or missed the simpler times in her life. The memories that replayed in her mind seemed to curb some of the loneliness that crept its way into her often solitary nights.

"Wow. I haven't seen that sunset in ages..." a voice mentioned over Nanoha's shoulder. The exit button on the screen was immediately pressed in reflex. The image faded away from in front of her in an instant.

Nanoha turned and met curious navy eyes seeking her electric blue ones. "Hey, Hayate. I didn't hear you come in."

"Taking a trip down memory lane, I see? Sorry, your office door was open. I didn't realize you were busy."

"No, I was just seeing how the sunset was today. It's summer there now."

Hayate gestured to the spot where the screen had been moments before. "We had good times on that bridge, huh?"

"Yeah, we did... So, what's going on? It's Friday night. Aren't you usually home by now?"

The commander looked away with a exaggerated sigh. "Nobody is going to be home tonight. It's so boring being there at the house by myself. I can't handle it."

"And you were coming to see if I was free, I take it?"

"Exactly." Hayate stepped forward and put a casual arm around Nanoha's shoulders. "I was wondering if you wanted to get a drink with me at the bar downstairs? Nothing special or anything."

"Well, Vivio is at that training camp with the others... I guess I could do that?"

"Excellent! The first round is on me."

"I thought you said _a_ drink?" Nanoha mentioned as she reached for her purse on her office desk.

"Have you ever had just one drink? Has anyone in the history of mankind ever had just _one_ drink? No, we should probably just get drunk, honestly."

Nanoha laughed. "Oh my god. You're crazy, Hayate."

"Maybe so. Except that it's almost nine o'clock on a Friday night and you're still working. Who's the crazy one here, really?"

Nanoha pulled her office door shut behind her and locked it as quickly as she could. She had to jog to catch up with her friend who was already halfway down the hallway. "I have new training plans to finalize soon. You know that."

"The old ones were perfect the way they were. I'm afraid you're reinventing the wheel at this point," Hayate replied. Nanoha finally caught up with her at the end of the hall near the elevators. The forceful woman was known for moving at a hurried pace during work hours, but matching that speed just for a casual drink sent red flags flying in Nanoha's brain.

"Wait, why are you so concerned about my free time all of a sudden?" she asked suspiciously. Hayate was unable to meet her eyes and instead reached for the button to send them to the lower level. Nanoha covered her hand over the down button before she could.

Hayate stood poised with her finger hovering over the now concealed target. "Damnit... I was almost there," she whispered once she knew she had been caught.

"Who's down in the bar, Hayate?"

"Just a friend. And old... friend."

"Ugh! You're trying to set me up with Yuuno again!" She threw her hands up in the air in exasperation and turned to walk away.

Hayate grabbed Nanoha by the arm before she could storm off. "Look, it's not something I planned, alright? He just showed up today for some conference he was lecturing about. He has a way of getting information out of me about you."

Nanoha turned back around and angrily crossed her arms over her chest. "I don't have time for this, Hayate. We've been through it a million times. I'm not interested in dating anyone right now."

"So don't date. Just have some fun instead?" Hayate gave her a side-glance after the suggestion to gauge her receptiveness to the idea.

"I'm not even interested in _fun,_ either. Tell Yuuno nice try, but he just isn't my type." Nanoha crossed in front of all the elevators to exit through the stairwell door. Hayate caught up with her again before she could take the escape route. She raised her hand to hold the door firmly closed with all her body weight leaned against it.

"It seems like you don't have a type at all, Nanoha? And that's fine. There's nothing wrong with that."

"What is that supposed to mean exactly?"

"I'm just saying, there are certain people out there who are never going to be interested in having sex. They're nicknamed 'aces'. Which is pretty funny when you think about it, right? You being the 'Ace of... Aces...'" Hayate's laughter trailed off when she found unamused eyes boring holes into her.

"Why are you so worried about this?" Nanoha asked through mildly clenched teeth.

"Because we've been friends for a long time. I just want to see you happy."

Nanoha paused and reflected on the genuine concern apparent in her friend's voice. Her demeanor soften and she instead looked away to the floor. "I know, Hayate. And I appreciate what you're trying to do. But with work and Vivio... I really don't want the drama and hassle of a relationship. It doesn't have anything to do with sex."

"Everyone has needs though, Nanoha. People who are still virgins at our age tend to be all messed up."

Nanoha finally laughed. "What?! No they're not!"

Hayate held out her hands defensively. "Are you really willing to risk it? I'm starting to think you're worried you might like it too much and that's why you won't try?"

"I'll take my chances with not knowing whether I like or not. It's much easier that way."

"Ah, the ignorance is bliss defense. Alright, have it your way. I'll go tell Yuuno to get lost if that's your final decision."

"It is, thank you. He's a nice guy and all, but he deserves better than anything I could ever give him."

"Before you go, Nanoha... I command you to take the weekend off!" Hayate abruptly waved her hand in an awkward circle in front of them. "You work too hard, regardless of your reasons for it."

"What? But no one is at my house right now! Fate-chan is still on a mission and Vivio won't be back until Sunday. What am I supposed to do?"

"Read a book or watch a movie or something. I don't know. Just try to have some fun for once."

Nanoha groaned and finally opened the door leading to the stairs. "I can't guarantee I'll have fun!" she yelled over her shoulder.

Hayate watched her defiant friend practically run away from her down the first flight of stairs. "Just try, for god sakes!" she shouted back.

Hayate closed the door to the stairs and returned to wait for the elevator. She tapped her foot and swayed impatiently while she waited for it to arrive on her floor. When it finally did, she entered into the empty cab and pressed the first floor button. She then sighed loudly and leaned back against the rail while she blankly watched the numbers counting down. She thought of her stubborn friend and her unwillingness to give anyone who had courted her a chance. On the other hand, she knew the one person who most likely to succeed in winning Nanoha over was just as blind to their own feelings as she was.

The bell chimed above signaling that she had reached the ground floor. She hung her uniform jacket loosely over her arm and walked out into the open lobby. The bar that was nestled in the corner of it looked like an oasis after the long week she had endured. She soon spotted her intended party in their usual table by the window. The blond doctor was the first to see her approaching and waved her over excitedly.

"Well, did she buy it?!" Shamal asked. She passed Hayate the drink that had been ordered for her in advance - - a gin martini with two olives.

"She did. She's on her way home now."

"That was pretty sneaky," Vita grumbled. The short, fiery haired instructor shook her head scornfully.

"All I did was implant the idea. There's no harm in that," Hayate replied defensively.

Signum was next to question the scheme. "They've been dancing around each other like idiots for years, though. Why would tonight be any different?"

"It just will be."

"When does Fate get back?" Shamal then asked.

Hayate looked down at her watch. "She should be home by now. As long as she went straight there, that is."

"What did you say to Nanoha exactly?" Signum asked.

"I don't know. Something about her not being interested in having sex, maybe...?"

Shamal slammed her hands down onto the table. "How the fuck are you still alive right now, Hayate?!"

"Trust me, I just barely made it out," she admitted. She raised her martini glass towards the middle of the table in a toast.

"To Fate and Nanoha - - May tonight be the night they finally figure out what we all have known forever now."

"Cheers to that!" the party responded.

**oOOOo**

Nanoha clumsily slid the key into the deadbolt at the front door of her house. She was still somewhat angry and flustered by the unexpected conversation with Hayate just thirty minutes prior. All she wanted to do now was just get inside her home and unwind a little bit. After three failed attempts to turn the key she finally paused and took a deep breath. After completely focusing her attention on the task at hand, the deadbolt finally unlocked. She shut the door loudly behind her.

"God damnit..." she muttered. She threw her purse onto the kitchen counter from a few feet away and started into the next room.

"Nanoha? Is that you?" a voice called from across the house. Nanoha's best friend and roommate soon entered into the living room from the back hallway.

"Fate-chan...?" Nanoha said in breathless shock at the sight of her unexpected appearance. Fate was wearing nothing but a pink cotton towel wrapped around her damp body. Her tangled blond hair was currently still wet and hanging loosely over her shoulders.

"Sorry I didn't call to tell you I was coming back. It was pretty sudden. And once I got here, I really just wanted get out of my uniform and take a shower."

Nanoha shook her head and glanced down at the pink towel again. "No, it's fine. I'm just glad to see you're back here safe."

"Um-hmm, I am. So I was thinking of renting a movie tonight from the satellite thing we have. I don't know if you're busy...?"

"No, I'm free. I'm actually not doing anything this weekend."

Fate's excitement showed in her bright smile. "That's great, Nanoha! I'm sad that Vivio won't be around, but we can still have fun I'm sure."

"Absolutely!" Nanoha raised her hand and gestured clumsily towards her. "Why don't you lose the towel...? I mean, get dressed and we will order the movie. I'll make some popcorn."

"Okay. I'll be back in a few minutes."

Fate disappeared back around the corner towards their shared bedroom again. Nanoha turned around to face the kitchen and raised her hand to her forehead in confusion. She replayed her awkward and uncharacteristic responses to her best friend in her mind. She was never like that with Fate. In fact, she was the one person she was always the most comfortable with.

"_Wait a minute!_" she then thought angrily. Her interaction with Hayate immediately sprang to mind again. The sneaky commander would have known that Fate's squadron was coming back that day, even if it was an unexpected return. She decided to do a little investigating to see if her suspicions about her plotting friend were correct.

"Raising Heart, please state the location of Yuuno Scrya."

"Searching now..." the device replied. After a moment, the screen popped up in front of her. "Yuuno Scrya is currently conducting research on administrative world No. 6."

"Thank you, Raising Heart," Nanoha replied and exited the screen. She couldn't help but laugh a little at the plan and how it almost worked on her.

"Man, it's so good to be home!" Nanoha heard Fate say soon after her realization. She reentered the living room in a small black t-shirt and blue jeans. She was placing her long blond hair in a bun when Nanoha noticed her thin abdomen now exposed under the short shirt.

"Fate-chan, have you not been eating properly?" Nanoha asked in a stern voice.

The hairtie resting in Fate's mouth fell to the floor. She attempted a weak response before releasing her hair from the bun and sinking her shoulders in defeat. "Not really," she admitted quietly. "But they didn't have a lot of good food there, honestly."

Nanoha sighed. "These missions are going to be the death of you. How about I make you something to eat first? We can have the popcorn after."

"You don't have to do that, Nanoha. Really."

"No, I insist." Nanoha turned to enter the kitchen before she could protest any further.

"Well, if you insist... Then I don't have a choice, do I?"

"Nope, not at all."

Nanoha began to retrieve food from the refrigerator and pantry with a new confidence in her resolve. Now that she knew Hayate had been trying to implant ideas in her head, presumably about Fate, she knew that she could easily fight away any urges that threatened to creep into her mind. It was all subliminal and Nanoha knew she could easily beat them back.

As she placed a skillet to warm on the stove, strong arms suddenly embraced her from behind around the waist. Even though it was again not atypical behavior between the two, Nanoha froze in place while the smell of mild vanilla filled her sense. Fate leaned over her shoulder to see what Nanoha was cooking. "What are you making?" she asked.

"N-Nothing special. Just a sandwich. I was going grill it for you, though."

"You're too good to me, Nanoha." Fate squeezed her a bit tighter before letting go and walking to the fridge. "I'm going to get a beer. You want one?"

Nanoha continued to stare down at the skillet in front of her. "Hmm? Oh yes, please." Fate uncapped both of them and then chinked their bottles together.

"So, anything special happen today?" she then asked. She leaned her back against the kitchen counter next to the stove and gratefully watched the cook at work.

Nanoha silently contemplated whether she should disclose the conversation she had with Hayate earlier or not. She glanced over and found Fate's face studying her's intently. She already knew her friend could tell something was weighing on her mind.

"Hayate was being so nosy today. She's insisting that I should date someone already," Nanoha finally disclosed in a half-truth.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. She even suggested that I'm not interested in sex at all and that's why I won't date anyone. And I use work as an excuse to cover it up."

Fate hummed and pursed her lips at first. She then squinted her eyes as she seriously considered the accuracy of Hayate's words. Nanoha set the butter knife down from her hand and looked over at her. She was surprised that she wasn't coming to her immediate defense after the accusation. Fate eventually just shrugged and took the beer back into her hand.

"Well, I suppose that you don't have to date anyone if you don't want to, Nanoha. As long as you're happy with your life."

"I am. I just don't get why everyone thinks you have to be in a relationship to be happy? It seems like being independent is this terrible thing. That if you're single then you must be miserable."

"I think she was saying something more than that, though. A lot of people don't want to be in a relationship. But most people are still interested in having sex."

Nanoha tentatively looked over at her again. "Well, what about you, Fate-chan. Are you interested in it?"

"I can't say that I'm not, but it's hard at the same time. The way work is for me, I don't really have a chance to date or anything."

"It's too bad sex seems meaningless if it's not with someone you love."

Fate couldn't hide her amusement at the statement. "I'm pretty sure sex is still worth it, with or without the love part," she laughed.

Nanoha plated the sandwich and handed it to her. "Let's just forget it. In the end, we're just two virgins who have no idea what we're talking about."

"Ha! Maybe so." Fate took a much needed bite of the sandwich while she walked and juggled the beer in her hand at the same time. Nanoha sat down heavily on the couch and picked up the remote from the coffee table. She found the section of the guide that had the pay-per-view movie listings and started scrolling through them.

"Anything in particular you wanted to see?" she asked.

Fate tried to swallow her food before answering. "I have no clue what is even out there right now."

Nanoha quickly moved the cursor past all the romantic movies and instead found the action ones. She clicked on each title so that they could both read the descriptions. They came across a cop-thriller that they both could agree on and settled in to watch the movie.

During times like these, Nanoha would usually use Fate as a pillow in some fashion or another. Tonight felt different and she was opting to keep her space. Fate noticed her distance as well but didn't question it. The conversation with Hayate seemed to have gotten under her best friend's skin thoroughly. She wasn't about to say or do anything that might make her feel any more uncomfortable than she already was.

As hard as she fought it, Fate soon started to nod off halfway through the movie. She leaned her head back onto the couch and closed her eyes. Nanoha spotted her falling asleep soon after and turned off the television. Fate awoke slightly when the living room became silent.

"You could have finished it, Nanoha?" she said in her sleepy state.

"It's okay. We have it for 24-hours. We can finish it tomorrow." Fate felt Nanoha's warm hand slip into hers resting beside her on the couch. She allowed herself to be guided to their mutual bedroom at the other end of the house.

"Are you sure you don't mind about the movie?" Fate then asked as she sat down on the edge of their bed. She pulled her t-shirt off and reached under her pillow to retrieve her black nightie.

"It's okay. I'm pretty tired, too. Plus we have all weekend together."

"That's true." Fate tried to suppress a yawn and stood from the bed. She took off her pants and bra first, which now left her in just underwear. She turned to face the bed to put her nightgown on. Nanoha saw her mostly naked form for about half a second before hastily turning away. She scowled in frustration at her flustered reaction before getting into her pajamas herself. She turned back around after she was dressed and found Fate crawling into her side of their king-sized bed.

"Do you need anything else, Fate-chan?"

"Um-umm..."

Nanoha knew she was already pretty much dead to the world at that point. She turned out the light overhead and crawled into her side of the bed. She closed her eyes momentarily but soon opened them again and looked across the bed.

Fate was now laying on her back with the sheet resting halfway over her, seemingly showcasing her upper body in the revealing black nightie. Nanoha had seen her hundreds of times in it and had never really given it a second thought. But yet again, tonight seemed to be different.

"_I'm going to wake up tomorrow and everything will be back to normal,_" Nanoha willed herself. She turned her head to stare up at the ceiling instead. She wasn't comfortable with how easily Hayate had manipulated her that night, but if anything she was far too stubborn to let her commander win this battle.

She sighed one last time and turned on her side to face the wall. She closed her eyes and tried to create as much mental distance as possible from the woman lying in the bed next to her before falling into a restless sleep that evening.

* * *

**A/N:** I already have four more chapters of this story written and I'll be updating it soon. See you then! ~Nissanity~


	2. Chapter 2 - Say the Word

**A/N:** Wow, this story got an incredible response after just one chapter! I am truly gratefully to all for the follows and fun reviews you've given. Well, let's head into the next chapter, shall we?

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters from or the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha anime, nor any other movie, actor, song, or character referenced or stated in this story.

* * *

******FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS**

by : ~Nissanity~

******Chapter 2 – _Say the Word_**

* * *

Nanoha awoke that Saturday morning with the sun shining warmly through the window next to her side of the bed. She hummed contently and enjoyed the sound of the birds chirping in the front yard just outside of it. She couldn't remember the last time she had actually allowed herself a few extra moments of peace in bed. She was usually up and out of it the second Raising Heart's alarm clock chimed, no matter what day of the week it was.

She lazily turned to face the other side of the bed and was surprised to find it empty and already made up. She sunk her head back into the pillow and sought clarity in the ceiling. She seriously considered the possibility that Fate hadn't actually returned from her latest mission after all.

"_I didn't imagine that, right?_" she asked herself, although it almost would make sense if it were a dream. All the unfamiliar thoughts she suddenly had about her best friend last night certainly made that a possibility. Nanoha had to wonder just how much Hayate was able to manipulate her subconscious after all.

The smell of brewed coffee beckoned to her once she had drug herself out of bed and opened her bedroom door. When she turned the corner from the living room towards the dining area, she was greeted by the unexpected sight of Fate dressed in her Enforcer uniform. She currently had Bardiche's transmitter screen up and was typing away on a report.

"Morning, Nanoha."

"Oh, Fate-chan! You scared me a little," Nanoha said breathlessly. She looked down and noticed the absence of the black nightgown. "Good, you're already dressed... I mean, wait? Why are you dressed in your uniform?"

Fate didn't take her eyes away from her screen. "I'm finishing a supplement about the last mission. I wanted to get it done before I met with Hayate and the rest of the commanders today."

"Oh, when are you supposed to meet with them?"

"In about an hour. It shouldn't last too long, hopefully."

Nanoha glanced down at the mug of black coffee sitting on the table. "Have you had breakfast yet, Fate-chan?" she asked. Even as she said it she could recognize the almost motherly tone in her voice.

Fate paused in her typing and grimaced. "No, not yet," she said weakly.

"One of these days you're going to get sick. I can already tell you lost some weight on this last mission."

"It's okay. I can just pick up something on the way. It's not a big deal."

Nanoha placed a hand on her hip. "You would find a reason not to stop. I'm making you something to eat."

Fate smiled and then returned to working on the report. There was no way she was going to win the battle with Nanoha that she had no desire to fight anyway. "If you don't mind. Thank you, Nanoha."

"How long are you here for, you think?!" Nanoha asked from the kitchen. She busied herself preparing ingredients for an omelet and toast while the skillet warmed up.

"About two weeks!" she shouted back.

"Good..." Nanoha said under her breath with a triumphant smile. She always worried herself when Fate left on dangerous missions for unknown amounts of time. Vivio helped keep her distracted and on her toes for the most part when Fate was gone, which was more often than not it seemed. Her presence was always cherished by both her and her daughter when she was back, though. She couldn't wait to see Vivio's face when she came back from camp tomorrow and found her Fate-Mama was unexpectedly home.

"Hey, Nanoha? Did you have anything you needed to do at headquarters today?" Fate then asked.

"No, Hayate said I'm banned from there this weekend. Why?"

"I was just going to see if you wanted to ride together if you had to. If not, that's fine."

Nanoha heard Fate enter into the kitchen to watch her cook again. She enjoyed observing Nanoha transform food from the mere ingredients into the delicious meals that tasted better than anything she could ever possibly make. Fate once attributed it to Nanoha's love for her and Vivio coming out in the food. Nanoha figured she was probably right.

"I have to go to the grocery store anyway," Nanoha replied. "I can just drop you off and then pick you back up when you're done with your meeting."

"That sounds like a plan. As long as you don't mind, that is."

"Of course not. Is there anything you wanted me to pick up from the store?"

"Not really. You know what I like anyway." Fate then paused and Nanoha could feel concerned eyes now studying her closely.

"Yes, Fate-chan?" she eventually asked.

"Are you feeling any better today, Nanoha?"

Nanoha whisk froze mid-air over the bowl. "What do you mean?"

"You seemed really stressed out last night with what Hayate said."

"Oh, that. No, I'm better today. I think I was just tired."

"That's good," Fate replied with a relieved smiled. "You know, I was thinking about it this morning. Do you remember when we were kids and we talked about whether we were going to get married or not?"

"Yes, I remember."

"Well, I know you say you're too busy now, but I think you should give yourself a chance with someone in the future. You'd be a good wife."

Nanoha poured the eggs in the skillet and concentrated on not letting them cook too fast while they talked. "And what about you, Fate-chan? Are you going to be someone's wife someday?"

"Maybe? If the right person came along, I would consider it. Although it's hard to imagine it being possible with the way things are with work for me."

"That's understandable. I have the same problem, too. And well, maybe there is something to what Hayate said after all. Maybe I'm just not interested in the physical side enough anyway. That could be why it hasn't crossed my mind all that much."

Fate placed a reassuring hand on her arm. "I'm sure when the right person comes along for you, it will happen. There's nothing wrong with being picky."

Nanoha glanced down at the hand on her arm first before meeting Fate's honest and sincere expression. "T-Thanks..." she replied. She knew the response was a bit off but she couldn't think of how else to answer the statement.

"That looks great, by the way. I'll go set the table." Fate walked back out of the kitchen, leaving Nanoha to her own thoughts again. She first tried to imagine the type of person Fate would end up marrying. She guessed it would an Enforcer like herself, or someone similar whom she traveled the world with. Soldiers often found comfort in each other in more ways than just friendship after all. And having someone who understood the way she lived and could handle it sounded healthy enough.

Nanoha tried to envision her life as a married woman next and came up short. There would surely be the expectation of more children. The thought of endless text messages and phone calls checking in on her all day really bothered her. She frowned as she thought of someone impatiently waiting at home while she worked her long hours, potentially causing fights because she wasn't there enough to suit them. Her perceptions about being in a relationship all seemed to be negative the more she considered it.

By the time breakfast was prepared and she walked the skillet into the dining room, her mood had soured completely on the whole wife idea. She cut the omelet in half mostly, although she made sure to serve Fate the bigger portion on her plate. She retrieved the toast and coffee pot from the kitchen next before settling in to her usual seat. She opened up the morning newspaper and starting skimming through the headlines while Fate tapped away at her screen in between bites.

"You still read the newspaper, huh?" Fate mentioned as Nanoha turned a page.

"Yep. I like the way the paper feels and smells somehow. It's more engaging that reading it on a digital screen. Is that weird?"

"Nope. I can see what you mean." Fate pressed the exit button on the screen in front of her to shut it down. "Whew. Finally done."

"Good, because we have to go soon."

"That was incredible, by the way." Nanoha looked down at Fate's plate and was pleased to see most of the food had been eaten from it. She picked up the dishes and hurriedly rinsed them to the sink. She knew she didn't have time to wash them now and figured she could just do that when they got back.

Nanoha wiped her hands with a kitchen towel and returned to the dining room. "I'm going to get dressed really quick and then we can go."

"Sounds good. I'll be here," Fate replied. She picked up the comics section of the paper to browse over while she waited.

"Alright. See you in a few minutes, Fate-chan."

**oOOOo**

The windows of the newly built TSAB building shined brightly in the sunlight as Nanoha pulled the car up in front of the building. It had been two years since the JS incident when the original building had been destroyed. It had also been nearly as much time since Riot Force 6 has been disbanded.

With Fate now sitting beside her, Nanoha felt the pang of nostalgia in her stomach as she recalled those days before everyone in the group had to go their separate ways. She had to stem off feelings of bitterness that Fate's reassignment constantly sent her on different missions halfway across the universe, sometimes at a moment's notice.

Fate pushed open the passenger car door. "I'll message you when we're done. I really appreciate the ride, Nanoha."

"No problem, Fate-chan. I have Raising Heart on me. Just let me know."

"Okay." Fate gave her a grateful smile before exiting the vehicle. Just before she shut the door, Nanoha could heard someone's voice shouting from across the parking lot.

"Fate! Hey, you made it!"

Fate paused in the open doorway to look for the person calling for her. She soon spotted one of her fellow Enforcers. "Hey, Ginga! Yeah, we got here just in time. Did you get my supplement to your report?"

"I did, thanks." Once Ginga had made it to the side of the car, she peaked inside and waved at the driver. "Hey, Nanoha! It's good to see you again."

"You too, Ginga. How are things?"

"Better now that we're back for a while. How's my sister doing here with you?""

Nanoha smiled genuinely and nodded. "Subaru's doing really well. She misses Teana a lot, though."

"Yeah. She mentioned that last night when we talked. But Teana's in good hands with me and Fate now."

"Well, I won't keep you guys. Fate-chan, I'll see you in a while. Just message me when you're ready."

Ginga rose back up from the car. Nanoha saw her place her hand on Fate's arm. "Did you need a ride, Fate? I can give you one after the meeting. That way Nanoha isn't tied up waiting until you are done."

"Oh? Um... Yeah, that could work," Fate replied. She bent down to look in the car again. "Is that alright with you, Nanoha? You can go do what you needed to do today instead."

Nanoha smile as sincerely as she could, although she knew she was forcing it a little. "Yes, that's fine. I can do some shopping for Vivio in that case."

"Perfect!" Ginga said happily. "Hey, I think I still owe you lunch, too. Maybe we'll just make a day out of it, if you're free?"

Fate glanced back into the car again as Nanoha shifted the car into drive. "You should go and fun today, Fate-chan. We will just meet back at the house later."

"Are you sure?" she asked her with somewhat reservation.

"Of course. You rarely have any time off. You should make the most of it."

"As long as we can stop by my house after the meeting so I can change?" Fate requested to Ginga.

"Yep, not a problem. I guess it's a date then!"

Fate gave Nanoha one last smile and shut the passenger door. She then added a wave goodbye to her through the window before crossing in front of the vehicle. Nanoha watched Ginga slide her arm through Fate's as they walked towards the entrance of the building. She continuously eyed the two as they entered through the front doors of the headquarters and into the lobby.

"What the hell is wrong with me?" she muttered. She attempted to squash some of the mixed emotions now brewing inside of her. She did feel a sense of happiness that Fate was slated to go out with the beautiful blue-haired woman. Ginga was one of the few women that rivaled Fate's natural attractiveness and had a friendly enough personality as well. She had to admit that the two did look well-matched standing next to each other.

She then considered where the sense of lonesomeness was stemming from now that she had lost her companion for the day. She eventually came to the conclusion that it was because she simply missed her best friend. She knew it was silly that she was so concerned with a few missed hours with her on her first day back, though. She had the next two weeks to look forward to spending with Fate now that she was home.

As she steered the car out of the parking lot, Nanoha took a deep breath and tried to relax. She resolved to be happy for Fate and to just carry on with her normal day as usual. She set her sights now on the grocery store and then the mall afterward to buy new clothes for Vivio.

The Enforcers continued their journey through headquarters with Ginga's arm still tucked through Fate's. She finally slid it away as the walked into the conference room for their meeting to discuss the latest mission. Hayate, Signum, and Vita were already seated around the large rectangular table in the middle of the room. Teana sat at the opposite end with seats reserved for Fate and Ginga next to her. Carim Gracia, one of the top officials with the Saint Church, was also present. Chrono Harlaown, Fate's step-brother, had also made an appearance at the meeting as well.

Signum caught the affectionate gesture Ginga was bestowing on Fate when they walked in. She glanced over at Hayate to gauge her reaction. She found the brunette was staring wide-eyed at the two as they walked in and took their seats next to each other.

"So, where does that factor into your plan?" Signum asked her quietly.

"Shit..." Hayate whispered as she gawked at them.

"That's why you shouldn't meddle, Hayate," Vita grumbled at her.

Hayate pounded her fist on the table. "No! I'm not wrong!" All chatter in the room immediately ceased. Everyone's attention turned to her at the head of the table after her outburst.

Vita blocked her face with her hand in sheer embarrassment for her. "Oh my godddd," she groaned.

"No, I'm not wrong... to want to start this meeting! Now that... everyone is here," Hayate awkwardly announced.

Signum shook her head and opened up the hard copy of the report in front of her. "Ridiculous."

Carim gave Hayate a few wayward glances before clearing her throat and starting the meeting. "That's a good idea, Hayate. Well first, thank you all for coming. As you all know, the Enforcers were sent to administrative world No. 9 in response to the..."

Ginga leaned over to whisper to Fate. "Hey, my family is having a get-together this afternoon. Want to come?"

Fate returned Ginga's imploring look tentatively. "I'm not sure if I can. I promised Nanoha we would spend some time together."

"Come on, it'll be fun," she replied playfully and bumped her on the shoulder. "I promise I won't keep you too long."

"Well... Alright, I'll go."

**oOOOo**

The time read 9:06pm when Nanoha set the book she was reading down and clumsily poured herself another glass of Merlot. It was becoming increasingly difficult to follow the plot half a bottle of wine in while attempted to relax on the couch. It had been ages since she had drank more than just a beer and was finding that her tolerance was non-existent, although she couldn't say she minded that so much at the moment.

Her first real day off by herself had dragged on quite a bit until she discovered the dusty bottle in the back of the pantry. She had considered a light pasta dish for dinner, but the thought of eating alone didn't seem like it would be all that much fun. Drinking alone, though? Now that was a whole other story.

The front door to the house unexpectedly opened and then shut soon afterward. Nanoha could hear shuffling in the refrigerator in the kitchen next. She figured it was Fate coming home, but she ensured Raising Heart was still around her neck just in case. She set her wine glass down and rose from the couch just as Fate entered into the living room with a freshly opened beer.

Fate pointed the bottle down towards her wine glass on the coffee table. "I wonder who's winning at this point."

"You've already started tonight, too?" Nanoha asked. She sat back down on the couch after feeling a bit unsteady on her feet.

"Yeah. There was a party at the Nakajima's and I had a few drinks there. It was getting out of control so I left." Fate joined Nanoha on the couch and picked up the book between them to read the back cover. She then set it down on the coffee table.

"Is that any good?" she asked.

Nanoha shrugged carelessly. "I have no idea. I can't even remember what it was about now. So... how was your date with Ginga?"

Fate met Nanoha's glassy eyes with a bit of curiosity at the sight. She had only seen Nanoha really intoxicated one other time in their lives, when they were both in a TSAB training course with Hayate. The future commander had the brilliant idea to sneak in a bottle of wine to celebrate their acceptance. The three were drunk after one glass each, mostly due to the fact that their bodies were exhausted and none of them had ever had consumed a drop of alcohol before.

"I don't know if it was a date with Ginga, exactly. We went out to lunch and then spent time with her family afterward."

"Sounds close enough to a date to me?"

"I'm sorry about today, Nanoha. I know we had talked about spending it together."

"It's okay, Fate-chan. I really do understand. I want you to have a life outside of this house, too."

"Okay," she simply replied and took another sip of her beer. She recalled leaving the party in the cab when she found Ginga to be a lot more affectionate with her the more she drank. Fate wasn't exactly unhappy with it, but she knew if she hadn't left the house when she did things may have progressed in a way she wasn't prepared for just yet.

"Are you going to see Ginga again soon?" Nanoha then asked.

"Possibly. We haven't really talked about it."

Nanoha placed her hand on Fate's knee affectionately. "Well, you should. You looked really happy with her this morning."

"You think so?" Fate asked.

"Yep. You have my seal of approval to date her."

Fate couldn't help but laugh at Nanoha's candidness in her intoxicated state. "Thanks. I think she does like me like that. But I left before anything could happen between us tonight."

Nanoha's face fell a little and she pulled her hand away. "Why?"

"Nothing's changed since yesterday. I'm still not really in a position to start trying to date someone."

"What about something casual with her then?"

She smiled nervously at the thought. "Oh, I don't know about that, either. I wouldn't know what to do exactly."

"What to do?"

"Well, yeah..." Fate's face soon became a bright red. She picked at the label on her beer bottle that was resting on her thigh absently. "You know... About what we talked about last night?"

"Oh! The sex thing?!" Nanoha blurted out. Fate's eyes shot over to Nanoha on the couch. She could even feel her ears now growing hot.

"Y-Yeah, that."

"Ooh, I'm not sure how to help with that," Nanoha said with a regretful shake of her head. "I bet she won't care, though. She doesn't seem the type to worry about how much experience you have."

"It think it would be good to at least know what I was getting into before it happened."

"Well... You're a girl, so you should know what girls like, right? You can start there."

Fate placed the beer down on the coffee table slowly and then sat motionless while she gathered her courage. She could not believe she was about make such a major confession to her best friend. Thankfully, all the alcohol helped curb her inhibitions enough to let her spill her secret.

"I don't know much about that part either..." she admitted.

Nanoha's sat in stunned silence and gaped at her. Her eyes darted across the room as she tried to grasp just what it was exactly that Fate had told her. "Wait, never?!" she finally exclaimed.

"Well it's not like I've had much of chance to try! I'm not going to do that in bed next to you, of course. And then I'm always on missions where I'm sharing quarters with other people. Or I'm too tired and just want to sleep instead if I'm ever alone."

"Oh my god..." Nanoha whispered. She may not have been interested in having sex with someone else, but that certainly never stopped her from taking care of herself.

"So now you can see why I don't want to rush into anything with anyone," Fate then added.

Nanoha hummed while she considered the situation and what she should do to help Fate in it. She spotted the remote on the table and suddenly had a crazy idea. Fate watched Nanoha scroll through the guide on the satellite like she had done the previous evening.

"What are you doing?" she asked when she noticed her getting into the higher channels.

"Well, it's not perfect, but I think this might help." After a few minute's search, she found the adult pay-per-view channels in the guide listings.

Fate's eyes once again shot over to Nanoha in sheer disbelief. Never in a million years could she have imagined that she would suddenly be watching an adult movie with her. She grabbed her beer again from the table and downed the remainder of it. She then rose from the couch to get another from the fridge. Nanoha brought up the information on each movie and tried to find one that didn't look too god awful.

"We don't have to do this, you know?" Fate said as she sat back down on the couch with her new drinks in hand. She had brought two bottles back with her, just in case she needed the extra one.

"I don't mind. It could be fun," Nanoha replied. She finally found a movie that looked somewhat watchable and selected it. In her tipsy state, she accidentally purchased the channel's day pass for $29.99 verses the single movie selection. She shrugged it off knowing this was a one time occurrence anyway. The poorly produced movie soon began to play and terrible synthesized music filled the room. Nanoha turned down the volume significantly so that they could talk over the scenes on the screen.

Fate buried her face in her hands when the first scene started playing. The dialogue could only be described as mediocre at best, as was the two actresses' acting skills.

"Two women at an office, huh?" she mentioned. She watched one actress start to undress the other between the splayed fingers over her eyes.

Nanoha picked up her wine glass and finished the remainder in one drink. She then poured herself another glass and noticed she was nearing the end of the bottle. "Not the most original plot, that's for sure."

After a minute, Fate and Nanoha's heads simultaneously turned to the side when the two women on the screen moved into a precarious position together on the desk. Loud, forced moans soon followed and echoed across the living room walls. Nanoha choked on her wine and grabbed for the remote to turn the volume down even more. She then glanced over at Fate again. She found her frozen on the couch, staring dumfounded at the scene.

"Why does that not look like it would feel good at all?!" Fate suddenly exclaimed.

"Probably because it doesn't!" Nanoha replied as they watched the actors now almost assaulting each other on the screen.

Fate shook her head in utter disbelief. "I can't imagine doing that to someone."

"I guess we can chalk this up to what shouldn't be done with a woman. We probably aren't the intended audience for this anyway."

"Probably not." Fate took another long drink of her beer and then settled into the couch further. She and Nanoha continued watching the two have sex more as if it were a bad documentary than an adult film.

Nanoha suddenly giggled. "Nyahaha! Maybe we should play a drinking game? Every time they use the f-word we have to take a drink."

Fate glanced down at her extra beer on the table and hoped it would be enough. "Sure, why not?"

"_Oh, yeah! That's right, fuck me baby..._" one of the actors immediately moaned after the proposed game. Nanoha and Fate both laughed and took a drink.

By the time the first scene was over, Fate's beers were gone and Nanoha had finished her bottle of wine. They were both now swaying on the couch unsteadily. A new scene started on the screen right after the last one ended.

"How many of these are there?" Fate asked warily. An actress with long blond hair appeared on the television next. She was sitting alone on a couch in a well-lit living room.

"Three, I think."

They then watched a copper-haired woman walk into the room and sit down next to the blond on the couch. The irony of the situation did not escape their attention one bit. Nanoha glanced over at Fate and met her eyes momentarily before they both looked back to the screen again.

The progression in the new scene seemed a bit slower than the first one had been. Nanoha pointed at the screen when the blond took the other woman's breast in her hand gently. "Ooh, that probably feels good..." she mentioned.

"I would think so," Fate replied and took a mental note. Even though she had already figured that part out mostly, it was somewhat helpful to actually see someone doing it to someone else. They then watched the blond abruptly squeeze the other woman's nipple hard and pull on it.

"Ahh, don't do that!" Nanoha shouted and recoiled a bit. "Jesus, that couldn't have felt good!"

Fate looked over and saw Nanoha covering her own breast with her hand, almost as if she herself had felt some pain with the action. She felt the air escape her lungs at the sight and let her vision linger much longer than she normally would have. Nanoha felt Fate's eyes on her and turned to find her lost in a drunken daze while staring at her breast. When Fate snapped out of it and met Nanoha's gaze, she became concerned that she would be upset with her for looking at her like that.

"Um... Here, Fate-chan," Nanoha said and reached over to grab Fate's hand. The blond's eyes grew wide when her hand was pulled across the couch and placed on top of her breast.

"N-Nanoha...?"

"It's okay to massage it if anything. And if you are going to play with _that_, be gentle about it." Fate nodded at the instructions and did as Nanoha said, squeezing her breast lightly in her hand. She brushed her thumb across the top of it a few times and was surprised at the immediate response she got.

Nanoha took a sharp breath and looked down at the hand now fondling her. She hadn't expected it to feel so good since it was just on top of her clothing. Fate removed her hand when she heard Nanoha's gasp and worried she might have been too rough with her.

"Oops. Sorry, Nanoha," she said.

"N-No, it felt good. Don't worry about it," she assured her. She looked away to the floor and considered what to do next. Her judgment was certainly impaired at that point. She wasn't sure if she should just go to bed now or stay awake and see what happened. She also had to wonder if it really would be so bad if Hayate won the battle this time around. She was human after all and there was nothing wrong with liking being touched by someone else. There was also the possibility that Fate may be interested in this just as much as she was.

A tentative glance was sent across the couch again. Fate was silently staring at the television, although it didn't seem like she was actually registering what was happening on it anymore. She was chewing her bottom lip and seemed completely bewildered about what had just happened and what to do about it. Nanoha stared at her in profile and couldn't remember a time when she looked as cute as she did right now.

Nanoha made a decision. She hoped it wouldn't be one she regretted later.

"Fate-chan...?" she began and slid closer to her on the couch. Fate glanced over at her out of the corner of her eye.

"Hmmm?"

Nanoha reached over and grabbed her hand again. "Do you want to practice on me a little more?"

"Do you want me to?"

"You can if you want to."

Burgundy sought clarity and assurance in the set of sapphire eyes in front of her. "And you're sure about this, Nanoha?"

"Yes. I want to know more too, honestly."

Fate nodded and continued where she had left off. She watched Nanoha's expression change in front of her the more she relished in her touch. Fate eventually set her eyes on the the set of lips quivering slightly in front of her. "Nanoha... Can I try kissing you?" she asked her after a moment.

"Yes. That's fine."

Fate leaned forward slowly and brushed her lips against hers. Memories of their kiss on the bridge flooded her mind, her first and only one in her life so far. She never imagined her second would be with the same person, let alone anything else past that point.

Nanoha raised her hand to Fate's cheek to reassure her that her touch was welcomed and to pull her deeper into the kiss. Fate's hand continued its explorations and eventually made its way under Nanoha's shirt. Her fingertips traced the lace on her white bra and sought her erect nipple under the cloth.

Nanoha pulling away slightly. "We can take it off," she said breathlessly. Fate used gentle hands the remove the top garment first and placed it on the floor. Nanoha reached behind her back to unclasp her bra for her. She couldn't help but notice both of their hands were shaking a little bit in their nervousness.

When Fate slid her bra off her shoulders, Nanoha become unintentionally self-conscious. She crossed an arm over her stomach and looked away to the floor with a blush now creeping onto her face. She had been naked in front of other people plenty of times before, but never in an intimate situation like the one she was currently in.

"Do you want to stop?" Fate asked her when she noticed her flustered expression.

Nanoha met her eyes again and shook her head. "No, not at all. Sorry, I'm just nervous."

"Me, too."

Fate brought tentative hands back up to Nanoha's bared body and kissed her again. Their breathing became increasingly ragged as their lips began moving more hungrily against each others. Nanoha's mind started to become fuzzy the more her heart raced in the alcohol-fueled exchange. She eventually guided Fate down to lay on top of her when she couldn't sit up any longer.

"Oh my god..." she groaned when Fate moved her mouth away and found the sensitive areas on her neck instead. She entangled her hands and fingers in her blond locks. Fate eagerly began to explore more of the skin underneath her.

Nanoha couldn't suppress her moans when Fate took her breast in her mouth next. She closed her eyes and found it increasingly difficult to focus on what was happening. The overwhelming sensations coupled with all the wine soon caused her to start seeing double. As she felt the room start to spin, she looked down and saw Fate moving away from her breast at the same time. Her forehead came to rest against Nanoha's chest soon afterward.

"Are you okay, Fate-chan?"

Fate's head swayed unsteadily. "Yeah... Sorry, I'm just really drunk."

She pulled away from Nanoha and crashed against the back of the couch unsteadily. She placed her hand over her eyes and willed the room to stop spinning. She knew what just happened between her and Nanoha had caused the alcohol to hit her a lot harder than it normally would have.

"Can you make it to the bedroom?" Nanoha asked in a half-slurred voice, although she wasn't even sure if she could herself at that point.

"I can try," Fate replied without moving. Nanoha was the first off the couch and stumbling towards the bedroom after turning the television off. Fate followed behind her shortly afterward. The two collapsed onto their respective sides of the bed without changing their clothes or turning off any of the random lights that were still on in the house.

"We're kinda sad right now," Nanoha mentioned with her eyes squeezed shut.

"Yeah, we can't hold our alcohol at all." Fate lowered her leg to the floor to act as an anchor in her spinning world.

"Let me know if you get sick, okay?"

"God, what just happened, Nanoha?" Fate groaned.

Nanoha sighed heavily. "We'll talk it about tomorrow. Just sleep for now."

"Okay."

"I'll see you in the morning, Fate-chan."

"Um-hmm... Good night, Nanoha..."


	3. Chapter 3 - Playing with Fire

**A/N: **I hope everyone is still enjoying this story! It's been a lot of fun to write so far XD

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters from or the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha anime, nor any other movie, actor, song, or character referenced or stated in this story.

* * *

******FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS**

by : ~Nissanity~

******Chapter 3 – ****__****Playing with Fire**

* * *

_~Day 1~_

Fate awoke the next morning to the glare of the morning sunlight beating down on her face. She held her hand up at first to block it from hitting her directly in her eyes. She then groaned and slowly looked around the room, trying to recall where the alarm clock was from her position. Her head hurt and she had no idea what time it was. That was all was she certain of at the moment.

She looked across the bed towards the clock on the nightstand and found it was already 10:23AM. Her vision trailed over to Nanoha's still sleeping face beside her. She narrowed her eyes at first in confusion when she found that she was naked from the waist up. Visions of the night before suddenly came crashing back to her, sending her scrambling to sit up in bed.

"Fate...cha..." Nanoha mumbled when she felt the bed shaking. She squinted her eyes in pain and looked over to find Fate sitting up beside her and looking panicked. She worried she might be feeling sick until she glanced down at her own naked chest. Her head fell back against the pillow and she tried to remember the reason why she had no shirt on. She then buried her face in her hands as she replayed the events from the night before in her head.

"Um..." Fate began and turned her vision towards the bedroom door. "Coffee! I'm going to make some coffee."

"Yeah, sure," Nanoha replied, her voice muffled by her hands still covering her face.

Fate walked out of the bedroom and shut the door quietly behind her. She raised her hand to her forehead as she walked and became lost in thought over what exactly happened between her and Nanoha the previous evening. She shook her head in sheer confusion and then instantly regretted the action with the piercing headache now plaguing her. She took a deep breath and decided to focus on getting rid of her hangover first.

In the kitchen she retrieved the coffee grounds from the cabinet. "_So what if you made out with your best friend while you were drunk? And so what if you liked it?_" she asked herself as she scooped. She paused afterward and gripped the edges of the kitchen counter, willing herself not to revisit the memory too much.

"You have to add water too, you know?"

"AHH!" Fate turned around and found Nanoha unexpectedly in the kitchen doorway. Nanoha rolled her eyes slightly and made her way across the kitchen to the coffee pot next. Fate noticed she had a different shirt on from the night before and could clearly see she was not wearing a bra.

"Let's not make this weird," Nanoha said. She took the empty coffee pot from the stand and moved to the sink. She turned on the tap and filled it with water while Fate fidgeted beside her.

"Weird? Why would it be weird?" she asked nervously.

"Seriously. No weirdness, Fate-chan."

Fate took another deep breath and then exhaled slowly. "Okay, you're right. Sorry."

"Are you hungry?"

"Not really. But I probably should eat anyway."

Nanoha poured the water into the coffee maker and accidentally spilled some of it out of the side. Fate also noticed she neglected to turn it on but opted not to say anything. She figured Nanoha was probably just as hungover as she was and wasn't about to point out trivial things at the moment.

"We should both eat," Nanoha said. "I'll make us something. You can go sit down if you'd like."

"No, that's okay." Fate stood motionless by the counter for a few moments while Nanoha got things out of the fridge. She soon realized she would be in the way if she continued standing in the same spot. She moved away from the counter and crossed to the other side of the kitchen.

"Vivio comes back this afternoon," Nanoha mentioned as she approached the stove.

"Oh, that's right. I can't wait to see her."

"I'm sure she'll be happy to see you, too." Nanoha turned and gave her a genuine smile over her shoulder. Fate finally felt more at ease after seeing the gesture and smiled back at her.

"So, was there anything you wanted to do today?" Fate then asked.

"I'm not sure, actually. It'd be nice to just relax around here for one more day before I have to go back to work tomorrow."

"That sounds good. Mind if I join you?"

"Well, I was hoping you would," Nanoha said with a small laugh. "Maybe we can try watching that movie again?"

Fate's blood pressure immediately shot up again. "Um..."

Nanoha quickly spun around and held her hands out in front of her defensively. "No, wait! I meant the cop one!"

"Right! I forgot about that one. Sorry." Nanoha turned back to the stove and Fate faced her head towards the ceiling in frustration. The awkwardness between the two was becoming unbearable.

"Hey, Nanoha?"

"Yes, Fate-chan?"

Fate crossed the room to stand beside her again. She raised a gentle hand to her arm to get her full attention. Nanoha cautiously turned to face her in return. Fate then looked down at the eggs she was scrambling and shook her head.

"I don't think I can eat right now," she announced sadly. "It not you, Nanoha. I just... can't."

"Oh." Nanoha looked down at the half-prepared ingredients on the counter as well. In her distracted daze she hadn't really stopped to consider she was actually handling food. She immediately pushed the bowl of eggs away and fought off her own wave of nausea.

"Sorry," Fate added.

Nanoha turned her back to the counter and stared at the floor. "No, I completely understand. I'll try again later. I think a shower could do me some good right now."

"Yeah, me too. I'll probably take one after you."

"I would suggest we take one together like we always do, but..." Nanoha trailed off in her thought, not quite sure where the statement could or should lead at the moment.

Fate came to stand directly in front of her. "Can we just talk about what happened last night, please?"

"So we got drunk and fooled around. It's no big deal," Nanoha replied and shrugged casually.

"Is that all it was?"

"Yes. Nothing has changed with either of us. We are still the same people today with the same things going on in our lives."

"That may be true. But I'm not going to say I didn't like it." Fate knew she was taking a bolder step than she normally would with the admission, but she didn't feel there was any reason to pretend she felt differently about it.

"I-I liked it too, Fate-chan," Nanoha admitted. "But I still feel the same way as I did yesterday. I'm not really interested in pursuing something romantically with anyone."

"I'm not either. I just wanted you to know that I liked it. And if you're ever wanting to do something like that again, I'm not going to stop you."

Nanoha looked at her a bit skeptically. "I don't want things to change between us. That would be the worst thing that could happen."

"So we won't let it."

"Ugh, this is crazy..." Nanoha crossed her arms looked away to the nearby wall.

Fate sighed and looked away as well. "Yeah, maybe it is a crazy idea. We can just drop it if you want." When Nanoha didn't respond, Fate took it as an admission that the subject was indeed done. She turned to leave the kitchen before she could do any more damage.

Nanoha pulled herself away from the counter and grabbed her by the hand to stop her. "Wait a minute, Fate-chan. I wasn't exactly ready for that suggestion, that's all. I'm just worried about losing you as a friend, okay?"

"I wouldn't do that, Nanoha."

"Um..." Nanoha looked to the floor and considered the proposal carefully. She weighed the potential consequences if one of them wanted more from the other if they went a step further than friendship. She figured she was safe from that on her end. She could only put faith in Fate that she wouldn't push for something serious from her afterward, either. Eventually, her curiosity that carried over from the previous evening was what made the ultimate decision for her.

"One time," she said firmly. "We have sex one time so we both know what it's like. That way we don't have to wonder about it forever."

"I think I can handle that."

Nanoha guided Fate by the hand out of the kitchen and into the living room. Hanging pictures of their lives spent together passed by in a blur as they made their way down the hallway. Nanoha glanced over at Vivio's closed bedroom door and reminded herself that they had limited time before she came home from camp that afternoon.

Once they reached their own bedroom door, Nanoha paused momentarily outside of it. They had crossed that threshold thousands of times together before, but this would be the one time it was different. She rested her hand on the door handle and contemplated whether she could go through with it or not. She glanced back at Fate and was met with a steadfast and reassuring expression. She ultimately pushed open the door and led them both inside.

Nanoha wasted no time with lingering glances or soft embraces. She crashed her lips against Fate's and pushed her backwards, leading them to the bed on the other side of the room. Fate suddenly found herself on her back with Nanoha crawling on top of her. Any reservations and awkwardness they had experienced the night before had been replaced by a completely different atmosphere. Nanoha pulled the hairtie out from her ponytail and let her hair cascade down her back and shoulders.

"I'm going to show you what I think I would like. You can do it to me next, okay?" she said and started pulling clothes off the woman beneath her.

Fate was quick to remove Nanoha's top as well. "Sounds good."

Nanoha captured her lips once more before moving her way downward. She found Fate's breast with her mouth and circled her tongue around its already erect peak.

"I really liked when you did this to me last night," she mentioned between the sucks and gentle pulls on the tip with her teeth. Fate nodded and let out shallow breaths but said nothing back. She was in no position to form intelligible words with what Nanoha was doing to her at the moment.

Eager hands helped push her jeans off her hips and down her legs. Fate kicked a foot out of a pant leg while Nanoha continued to work her way down until she reached her navel. She circled it with her tongue and kissed it a few times. Nanoha's breath was soon felt on her thigh and Fate tensed in anticipation.

"I'll go slow," she assured her. She met Fate's eyes from her position below. The two exchanged a look not of passion but of trust between each other. Fate swallowed once and nodded to assure her that she was ready.

When she felt Nanoha's lips and tongue begin to explore and gently caress her, she threw her head back into the pillow and became lost in the pleasure of it all. Every wave of stimulation brought her that much closer to the climax she was not familiar with, but wasn't about to let go of either.

Nanoha's hand soon moved its way up Fate's thigh to ease two fingers inside. Fate's eyes shot open and looked down her body again.

"Is that okay?" Nanoha asked quickly. Sapphire eyes sought permission from above again. Fate slid her fingers into copper strands to ensure her the new stimulation was welcomed. She bit her lips when Nanoha moaned against her in response to the gesture, sending her that much closer to her peak.

Fate's expression only caused Nanoha to want to work harder for her. She continually pushed her closer to experiencing sheer ecstasy for the first time. Fate closed her eyes again and began to groan and shudder.

"God, Nanoha... Don't stop..."

She continued to watch Fate even as she herself trembled from the anticipation for the release. When she saw and felt Fate's body tense up completely, she held on to her and wouldn't let go. She guided her through all her tremors and waves of pleasure. She didn't move away until Fate was still again and breathing heavily on the bed.

"Are you okay?" she asked. She rested her head on her thigh and waited for her response.

"Jesus..." Fate said breathlessly. "What have I been missing out on all this time?"

Nanoha laughed a little. "I know, right?" She crawled back up and laid on her side of the bed. Fate was still staring at the ceiling and trying to recover from the mind-numbing pleasure she had just experienced. She eventually looked over at Nanoha and smiled.

"You know, I'm not sure - "

"_Vivio will be arriving in five minutes, Master." _Fate and Nanoha both flinched as Raising Heart's mechanical voice interrupted from somewhere between the sheets.

Nanoha turned onto her stomach and fumbled around the pillows to find her device, which had come off when Fate had taken off her shirt. She eventually found it between the top sheet and the comforter. She placed it onto the nightstand and sighed quietly to herself. She then clutched the pillow against her chest and looked back at Fate over her shoulder.

"Well, I guess that's it."

Fate shook her head. "It said five minutes. We can't leave this uneven between us."

Nanoha could help but giggle when Fate tackled her on the bed and began planting wild kisses on her back and between her shoulder blades. "That's not romantic at all, Fate-chan!" she screamed.

"It's not supposed to be, right?!" she yelled back. She eventually stopped teasing and rested her body next to her on the bed. Nanoha felt gentle hands begin to move across her back and sides.

"You'd better hurry up," she warned playfully when Fate tried to kiss her on the back of the neck. She raised up instead and pulled Nanoha's pants down over her hips, causing her to laugh again.

"No problem. I saw this in a movie once," Fate assured her.

"Wait, a movie? No, not that scene - - Ahn! Oh, god!"

Nanoha moaned into the pillow when Fate slid her hand down her stomach and began stroking her. She arched her hips to allow her better access in response. Fate's other hand began to explore as well, eventually easing inside of her from behind.

Nanoha clenched her teeth and concentrated solely on the motions, knowing her time was extremely limited. The notion that she had to hurry or else she would be left unsatisfied herself was exhilarating. The feeling of someone else giving her pleasure consumed her senses unlike anything she experienced before as well.

"M-More..." she whimpered.

The sound of a car passing by outside their window only fueled her passion and desire. She gripped the sheets in her hands and moved to muffle her scream. Fate's thrusts slowed the closer she got to the edge. Nanoha realized she was purposefully drawing out her climax even longer.

"Please, Fate-chan..." she found herself begging. She bit the pillow in anticipation. Fate responded by pushing inside her deeper and slower. Nanoha now knew she had no control over when she was going to be allowed to release.

"Do you want to, Nanoha?" Fate asked quietly beside her ear. Nanoha could feel herself seize tighter with the question.

"I need to..." she moaned desperately. Fate curled her fingers inside and pressed her fingers harder against her nerves in response. Nanoha's eyes flew open at the unexpected stimulation. "Oh, god... Oh god!" she repeated.

Fate's arms burned from the exertion but loved the sensation. She felt the need for Nanoha to release just as much as she did. She pushed harder and faster until Nanoha's body responded and surrendered fully to her.

Nanoha shifted restlessly on the bed until the ripples of ecstasy finally flooded through her. She cried out and lost all shreds of self-control over her body as it seized in a chain of spasms. Several waves came and went, each more intense than the last. Fate didn't stop until she felt her body relax under her completely.

Fate removed her hands slowly and collapsed onto her side of the bed in a daze afterward. Nanoha gasped for breath, not realizing she had been barely breathing the whole time. She clumsily pushed her tangled hair away from her face and came right back to reality.

"We have to get up, Fate-chan." She sat up on her knees and started searching the room for her clothing. It would be less than a minute before Vivio arrived at the house. The last thing she wanted was for their daughter to see her mothers in that sort of disheveled state. She grabbed her shirt from the floor and then threw Fate's onto the bed.

Fate smiled clumsily at first before her face fell dramatically. "Oh, right! Vivio!" she shouted in sudden realization.

Nanoha raced to the vanity mirrors that were around the corner wall in their room. She quickly pulled her shirt back over her head and put her hair up in a ponytail. She glanced around the corner and found Fate still struggling to get dressed on the bed. She looked over at the window when heard the carpool van pull up in front of their house and honk once.

"I'll go. You just pull yourself together," she said. Fate gave her a thumbs up in response. Nanoha raced out of the bedroom and pulled on her shirt ends one last time before pulling open the front door. She was stunned to find Hayate standing on the other side with Vivio in her arms. The van pulled away from the curb behind them.

"H-Hayate?! What are you doing here?"

"Mama!" Vivio yelled happily and extended her arms out. Nanoha took her from Hayate and gave her an excited hug.

"The van stopped by headquarters first. I just hitched a ride with them," Hayate replied.

"Well, come in, of course. Would you like some coffee?" Nanoha spotted Fate enter into the hallway out of the corner of her eye. The blond stopped short when she saw Hayate standing in the entrance way.

"Hayate?!"

"Fate-Mama! You're home!" Vivio screamed when she saw her suddenly appear. Nanoha put her on the ground and she raced across the hallway. Fate bent down so that Vivio could tackle her in a hug.

Hayate walked inside the house and watched the happy scene at first. She then turned her vision back to Nanoha and glanced down at her shirt a few times.

"What?" Nanoha finally asked and looked down as well. It was only then that she noticed she had put it on inside-out. "Oh, right. The other side of it... said something stupid."

"I see. Well, coffee sounds wonderful. Sorry to barge in on you like this."

Nanoha waved her hand quickly and turned towards the kitchen. "Oh, it's fine. Nothing was happening here anyway."

"Right. How could it be?" Hayate glanced back at Fate and Vivio one more time and watched them walk into the living room together.

"So, what brings you by?" Nanoha asked after they made it into the kitchen. She retrieved a few coffee mugs from the cabinet and placed them on the counter. She was dumbfounded when she looked over and saw the coffee pot was sitting empty on the base. She then realized she must have never turned it on that morning.

Hayate watched in curiosity as Nanoha stared at the empty coffee pot as if lost in thought. She finally walked over and pressed the power button to start it. She then grabbed a bowl from beside the stove full of uncooked eggs and threw them in the trash.

"You'd almost think you were interrupted making breakfast or something..." Hayate mused. "So, did you get my message?"

"No? When did you send it?"

"About an hour ago."

"Oh..." Nanoha asked Raising Heart to pull up her notifications. She dismissed the now overdue warning about Vivio's arrival before pulling up Hayate's message in front of her.

"_Mandatory staff meeting tomorrow at 8am. Please confirm when you have received this message,_" she read aloud. She glanced over at her commander nervously.

"As you can imagine, I became concerned when I didn't hear a confirmation from Fate either. You two always respond immediately. I can see now that I had nothing to worry about."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Nanoha asked.

"I'm just saying you two were _busy_ and that's understandable. I'm glad I could clear that up."

"No, Hayate. We weren't _busy_!"

"Your shirt is inside out, Nanoha! I'm not an idiot!"

Nanoha immediately grew frustrated with her commander's prying ways. "I know about Yuuno! He wasn't at the bar the other night!" she hissed.

Hayate puffed her cheeks in response to being caught red-handed in her scheme. "It was for your own good, Nanoha! Look at where you're at now!"

"It's not what you think! We aren't - "

"Mama! Mama!" Vivio suddenly bolted into the kitchen and threw herself against her mother's legs. "I wanna watch T.V., but Fate-mama said I had to ask you if it was okay."

"Sure! Let's all head into the living room. What do you say?" Nanoha scooped her daughter up into her arms and made a quick exit out of the kitchen, grateful for the change in subject. Hayate followed them into the living room as well.

Hayate waved at Fate on the couch. "Hey there."

"Hey, Hayate. So, what brings you by?"

"I sent you both a message that neither of you responded to. I came by to make sure you were okay." Hayate watched in amusement as Fate immediately blushed and stammered for an excuse.

"O-Oh... Well, we decided to have breakfast outside. We must have left our devices in the house."

"Breakfast?!" Hayate cried. "Like eggs and coffee? That sort of thing?"

"Yep, exactly." Vivio escaped from Nanoha's arms and ran back over to the couch. She climbed in Fate's lap and hugged her again. As Nanoha reached for the remote on the couch, she noticed the empty wine and beer bottles still on the coffee table. Hayate was staring at them as well.

"God damnit..." she muttered under her breath. The brunette was catching every clue of their misdeeds and it was really starting to piss her off.

Nanoha turned on the television and gasped reflexively when the adult movie channel she had rented the night before flashed on the screen. She immediately hit the power button again but knew the damage had already been done. She glanced over to the couch first and was grateful that Vivio hadn't seen that, although she knew all the adults in the room had.

Fate's face was frozen in place. She was unwilling to turn her head in any direction but forward now. Nanoha placed the remote in her teeth and waited for the inevitable response from her wise and knowing best friend.

Hayate moved to stand directly in front of her with a smirk on her face. "Glad we could clear this all up. See you two tomorrow, Nanoha." She passed by her to let herself out of the house. "See you later, Vivio! Bye, Fate!" she added at the front doorway.

"Bye!" Vivio yelled back.

"Wait! Don't you need a ride, Hayate?" Nanoha asked.

"Nope, I just had the van circle the block a few times. I knew this wouldn't take long."

Nanoha let her head and shoulders sag in utter defeat. She wasn't about to start trying to explain that the situation with Fate was a one-time thing. It really wasn't any of Hayate's business anyway, as much as she tried to make it that way. Nanoha didn't say anything until the front door was shut again.

"Fate-chan, would you take Vivio into the kitchen for a snack while I put some cartoons on?"

"That sounds like a good idea." Fate stood from the couch and walked Vivio into the other room.

Nanoha turned on the television again and immediately hit the mute button. She kept her eyes away from the preview window in the corner that was still playing the adult channel. She instead focused on trying to find the cartoons in the guide. It was one of the more surreal experiences she had in recent memory, with the words _SpongeBob SquarePants _highlighted next to a couple of people silently grinding away in the corner of the screen.

Fate and Vivio reentered the living room shortly after they heard the cartoonish voices. Vivio had yogurt in a tube along with some crackers for a snack. Nanoha's stomach growled at the sight and she realized she was finally feeling hungry. Still feeling the effects of the wine from the night before though, she had the rare occasion where she felt absolutely no motivation to cook. She leaned over the back of the couch to speak to Fate and Vivio.

"Hey, are you guys okay with me ordering take-out for lunch instead of cooking?"

Vivio's face brightened at the idea immediately. "Really, Mama?!"

Fate glanced over at Nanoha's face right next to hers. "That's fine with me. Not feeling like cooking today?"

"Not at all. I'll probably get enough food for dinner tonight, too." Nanoha pulled away and started searching her cellphone for local restaurant listings.

"How was training camp, Vivio?" Fate asked while Nanoha busied herself ordering the food.

Vivio beamed. "It was fun! We did these water exercise things where we jumped in and out of it. And then take the water and go _whoosh_!"

Fate smiled happily even though she had no idea what her daughter was talking about. "That sounds like fun. You'll have to show me how sometime."

"How long are you going to be home this time, Fate-Mama?"

"Two weeks."

Vivio tackled Fate in a hug again. "We're going to have so much fun! Mama and I missed you!"

"I know. I missed you guys, too."

Nanoha rounded the corner of the couch to find the two in their happy embrace. She jumped onto it to join them. "The food should be here soon. I know I usually cook, but I would rather just spend time with you guys today."

"I was just asking Vivio about her training camp," Fate said.

"It was fun! We learned a lot."

"Anything you wanted to do today?" Nanoha then asked her daughter.

Vivio paused and looked up to the ceiling to think about it. "Um... can we play video games?"

"Hmmm. Well, I don't see why not."

"Yes!" Vivio scrambled across the room to set up her favorite game in the console underneath the television. "Let's play the dancing one."

Nanoha regretted the decision immediately since the game required a lot of physical interaction. The sensor read and scored the player's body movements as they danced along with the character on the screen. She wasn't about to let to Vivio be disappointed based on her own stupid actions, though.

"It sounds like fun!" she said excitedly.

Fate grimaced slightly as well but was equally determined to make sure Vivio was happy. "I'll play too, Vivio. But I'm definitely going to win this time!"

**oOOOo**

Nanoha reentered the living room shortly before nine o'clock that evening, having just put her exhausted daughter to bed. Fate finished cleaning up the living room after their busy night together at the same time. They both met up in the middle of the room and sat down heavily on the couch.

"Man, I didn't think Vivio was ever going to stop," Fate groaned.

"No kidding. I think she was just really excited to have you back."

"I had a lot of fun today, Nanoha. Thank you for that."

Nanoha could feel a slight blush creep onto her face. She knew part of what Fate was thanking her for had nothing to do with Vivio. "No problem Fate-chan. I had fun, too."

Fate grinned and scratched her cheek. "I, um... I think we were totally busted by Hayate today."

"Yeah, for sure. But that's alright. What's done is done."

"So I guess it's back to work as usual for you tomorrow?"

"Yeah, other than that staff meeting we have to go to. It's funny, though. Now that I've had some real time off, I'm almost not wanting to go back."

Fate hummed a little. "I guess I'll have to find ways to entertain myself while you're at work."

Nanoha looked over at Fate curiously. She wasn't quite sure what she meant by the comment. Thoughts about her spending time with Ginga again immediately sprang to mind. "I guess you can hang out with your friends or something," Nanoha mentioned quietly.

"Maybe so."

"Are you reconsidering dating now?"

"Well, no. Not dating, exactly." Fate turned away to look at the floor and was soon blushing herself. "But you had suggested I could have a casual thing with someone. I wouldn't mind that. Well, if the opportunity came up, that is."

"Oh?"

"Y-Yeah," Fate continued. She smiled and blushed even more as she absently played with the hem on her jeans. "I really liked it. I could see doing it more, now that I know what it's like."

"I see..." Nanoha paused in the conversation and studied Fate flustered demeanor next to her. She hadn't anticipated she would consider the casual relationship idea, at least not so openly or so soon. Nanoha's curiosity finally got the best of her. "So, who are you thinking of - "

"Mama?" a small voice suddenly said from the hallway. Fate and Nanoha both turned to see Vivio standing in the entrance to the living room in her pajamas. She had her stuffed animal hanging down from her hand and was rubbing her eyes.

"What is it, sweetie?" Nanoha replied.

"Can I sleep with you guys tonight?"

Nanoha looked over at Fate for an answer. She shrugged in response. "I don't see why not," Fate replied.

"Alright. But just for tonight, Vivio," Nanoha told her. "I know you are excited to see Fate-chan again."

"I'll take her," Fate volunteered. She stood up from the couch and passed by Nanoha. Once she reached Vivio across the room, she turned and smiled at her over her shoulder. "Are you coming to bed, Nanoha?"

Nanoha stood silently from the couch and watched Fate pick up their daughter and fling her over her shoulder. Vivio squealed when Fate started tickling her sides. The two disappeared down the hallway, leaving Nanoha standing alone in the living room, lost in her own thoughts.

"Be right there, Fate-chan..." she replied under her breath.

* * *

**A/N:** As usual, I'll update soon. ~Nissanity~


	4. Chapter 4 - Count Me In

**A/N:** What I think makes NanoFate my favorite pairing of all time is their openness and honesty towards each other. I tried to convey that innocent sincerity they share together in this chapter.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters from or the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha anime, nor any other movie, actor, song, or character referenced or stated in this story.

* * *

******FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS**

by : ~Nissanity~

******Chapter 4 – ****__****Count Me In**

* * *

_~Day 2~_

Nanoha awoke in a daze and could feel pressure against her abdomen and breast. She reached behind her and noticed that she nearly falling off the edge of her side of the bed. She pulled back the blankets and discovered Vivio curled up next to her, her legs sprawled out and taking up a significant portion of the bed with her tiny body.

It had been another restless night of sleep for her, the third in a row in fact. Nanoha figured she had gotten about two hours of sleep total that night. The lingering memories of the previous day with Fate spilled over into her half-awake dreams, causing her to toss and turn as she worried about what to do next. She sank her head back into her pillow and then looked over at the time on the clock.

_5:27AM - - _Too early to be awake. Too late to fall back asleep.

She glanced over to the other side of the bed and discovered that Fate was not in it. Her half of the bed had actually been made as if she hadn't slept there at all. Nanoha groaned and placed her hand to her slightly achy head. She tried to remember if Fate had mentioned she needed to be somewhere that day. Nothing came to mind right away.

Ensuring that Vivio was still asleep, she gently exited the bed and put on her house robe that was resting on a nearby chair. She left the bedroom and expected to see Fate in living room on the couch. She was confused to find she was not there either and that all the lights were still off in the house. She had left without a trace, it seemed.

A sinking feeling consumed her as she entered into the kitchen and turned on the overhead light. She came to the realization that Fate may have left in the middle of the night because of what happened between them the previous day. She fought off the urge to burst into tears at the thought as she fumbled with the coffee grounds from the cabinet.

It would devastate her if Fate had left without a word after everything they had been through in their lives. At the same time though, she almost couldn't blame her. They had crossed the line of friendship unexpectedly. It was possible Fate felt there was no turning back and that they couldn't be friends anymore now.

Nanoha had just wiped away a tear that had escaped when she heard the front door suddenly open and then shut. She turned around in time to see Fate entering into the kitchen in a black sports bra and track pants. Her skin glistened from sweat and she was breathing heavily.

"Fate... cha..." Nanoha breathed in relief.

"Morning, Nanoha I just got back from a run. I was having trouble sleeping and thought - "

Fate stopped talking when Nanoha raced across the kitchen and unexpectedly tackled her in a hug. She froze and worried that she was going to get sweat on her house robe. When she felt Nanoha begin to cry softly against her chest, she relaxed instead patted her head to try to soothe her. Nanoha squeezed her tighter in response and sniffled once. Fate moved her hand up to Nanoha's forehead and then ran it along her cheek.

"Nanoha, are you feeling okay today? I think you're a little warm."

Nanoha pulled away slowly and nodded. "I'm fine, Fate-chan. You just went running. That might what you're feeling."

"Maybe so. Are you okay otherwise?"

"Yeah, I'm fine now. Sorry about that. I was just being silly for no reason." Nanoha returned her attention to the coffee pot to finish pouring the water in. She then double-checked to make sure she had turned it on this time.

Fate was still concerned about Nanoha's uncharacteristic mood but chose not to press the issue at the moment. "Alright. I'm going to take a shower and get ready. Do you want me to wake Vivio up?"

"Yes, please." Nanoha retrieved a box of cereal and the milk from the fridge for Vivio's breakfast as Fate left the room. Usually, she would try to cook her something more nutritious, but today she just wasn't feeling up to it. The cereal box fell over and spilled some of its contents on the counter. Nanoha sighed and cleaned them up.

Nanoha's morning routine to prepare for work passed by in a blur after that. She took a shower, got dressed, and helped get Vivio ready for school on autopilot. She vowed to sleep more that night as she was helping Vivio into the car. Fate offered to drive them and she gratefully accepted the offer.

"Are you sure you're okay, Nanoha? You really don't seem like yourself this morning." Fate glanced towards the passenger seat in concern. Nanoha had been completely zoning out while she looked out the side window.

"Hmmm? Yeah, I'm fine. I think I'm just going to close my eyes for a minute. I didn't get a lot of sleep last night."

Nanoha shut her eyes for what felt like a second and then reopened them to find they had already arrived at TSAB headquarters. She turned around to look at the backseat and found Vivio gone, although she didn't remember them stopping at her school. She then looked through the front windshield and saw Fate crossing in front of the car. She leaned back so that she could open her car door for her.

"Are you ready to go inside, Nanoha?" Fate asked and extended her hand to assist her out.

"Yeah, sure."

Fate led them to the headquarters entrance and into the main lobby at a slow pace. Nanoha looked at the clock overhead and noticed that they had about twenty minutes before the staff meeting would start. She used her hand to shield her eyes from the florescent lights that seemed exceptionally bright that day.

"I should probably go to my office and check my messages while I have a chance," she mentioned.

Fate shook her head and kept walking. "Maybe in a minute. I was hoping you could come with me somewhere first. It shouldn't take long."

"Where are we going, Fate-chan?"

"Just here."

Nanoha looked up to find herself now standing in front of Shamal's office, which doubled as the nursing station at headquarters. She stared at Fate in confusion. "What's this all about?" she asked defensively.

Fate knocked on the door and silently waited for a response. She then smiled at Nanoha and squeezed her hand for assurance. Shamal opened the door moments later in her lab coat and with a cup of black coffee in her hand. She waved happily at two of them in greeting at first until she took a good look at Nanoha. Her face immediately fell and she put her hand up to her forehead.

"Wow, you look terrible and you're burning up! Come on inside."

The smell of antiseptic filled Nanoha's senses as she walked in, although she found the fragrance to be somewhat calming for her at the moment. Fate led her to the exam bed and made her sit down on the edge of it. Nanoha tried to resist at first, but the call of the pillow on the end soon overtook her stubbornness. She laid her head down and closed her eyes while Fate brushed her bangs away from her forehead again.

"Do you know why Nanoha might be so exhausted...?" she could hear Shamal ask Fate distantly before she fell into a deep sleep.

**oOOOo**

A white blur slowly coming back into focus was the only thing her vision could register. Nanoha blinked repeatedly and stared at the ceiling as she woke up again. She looked down and noticed her shoes and uniform jacket had been removed at some point. Over to her left, she found Shamal sitting at her office desk filling out paperwork. Nanoha sat up in the bed and tried to find the time.

"Three hours," Shamal told her without looking up.

"I'm sorry?"

"You've been asleep for three hours. You need to sleep some more, too."

Nanoha swung her legs over the side of the bed. "I can't. I already missed the staff meeting. And I know I'm behind on work after this weekend, too."

Shamal stood up from her desk and held her hands out to stop Nanoha from getting up. "I'm going to have to run a few tests before I can clear you to do that. Just relax, please."

The doctor first reached for the blue arm cuff hanging beside the bed so that she could check her blood pressure. She also placed a heart rate monitor on Nanoha's middle finger and turned on one of the machines nearby. The pace of her heartbeat could now be heard in audible beeps throughout the room.

Nanoha tried to shrug off her exhaustion. "I just haven't been sleeping well. It's my own fault."

"And why haven't you been sleeping well?"

"Um..." Memories of her afternoon experience with Fate soon came crashing back to her again, as well as the stress she felt with the lack of clarity in their situation. The frequency of the beeps increased dramatically.

"Oh, I see. Is something serious weighing on your mind?"

"It shouldn't be..." she mumbled in response.

"And yet it is. Nanoha, I'm not going to pry into your personal life. Hayate already has made that her mission recently, it seems. But I can tell you that you are not cut out for binge drinking and then not sleeping enough. And being stressed out on top of that only made it worse. Your body will always have lingering issues after what happened to you when you were younger. I'm going to highly suggest you don't do that again."

Nanoha rested her chin in her hand and sighed. "I guess having sex was bad too, huh?"

"Oh, I didn't say that. No, that's the one thing you shouldn't be worried about."

"Really? I would have thought that could have made it worse."

Shamal smiled gently and placed her hand on Nanoha's forehead to check her fever again. "Nope. Sex releases a lot of endorphins. That's why it's such a good stress reliever. Well, as long as it's not what's causing the stress to begin with, that is."

"Yeah. I guess I could just relax about the whole thing and let it happen."

"There's nothing wrong with keeping things casual and enjoying each others company, that's for sure."

Nanoha remained quiet and let Shamal finish checking her over while she carefully considered her words and possible options. She almost had to laugh at herself for making the situation so complicated with Fate. They had amazing sex together and they both really enjoyed it. Plus, there was potential to keep doing it together. The only thing needed was for one of them to be brave enough to take the first step and make it happen.

"You're smiling again, Nanoha. You look less tense already," Shamal said. "I'm sending you home for the day, though. Missing one more day of work is a lot better than you really hurting yourself again. Just go and relax for the rest of the day."

Nanoha began putting on her jacket and shoes while Shamal brought up her transmitter screen and pressed a few buttons. A few moments later, a soft knock came to the door. Shamal answered it and let the summoned visitor into the office.

"Are you feeling better, Nanoha?" Fate asked as she walked inside.

"Fate-chan..." Nanoha smiled brightly and nodded. "I am feeling a lot better, thanks. But Shamal is making me go home."

Shamal shrugged at Nanoha's now sulking expression pointed at her. "I don't mind being the bad guy if it means she'll be safe. Do you mind taking her home now, Fate?"

"No problem." Fate extended her hand for Nanoha to take again and led her out of Shamal's office. She guided them into the main lobby and towards the front entrance at the pace Nanoha was setting behind her.

"How was the meeting?" Nanoha asked once they had exited into the parking lot.

"It was just a benefits meeting. Nothing special. Hayate said she would send your paperwork to Raising Heart later."

"Okay. I'm really sorry about this, Fate-chan. I feel like I'm ruining your day off."

Fate stopped them in their tracks and came to stand in front of her. "Don't ever say something like that, Nanoha. You have always been there for me when I've been injured or have gotten sick. I want to be able to be there for you, too."

"You're sure?"

"Of course. That's what friends are for, right?" Fate began to walk them slowly to the car again. "Besides, I feel a little guilty. I feel like I should have been watching over you more carefully."

Nanoha allowed Fate to open the passenger door for her again and then climbed inside. She waited until Fate had gotten into the driver's seat and started driving away before speaking again.

"I don't regret it," she said quietly.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" Fate asked and glanced over at her.

"I don't regret the way things happened, even if I feel sick today. I wouldn't have changed anything about this weekend."

Fate reached over and placed a reassuring hand above her knee. "Alright, if you mean that then I won't feel so bad. Why don't you try sleeping on the way back to the house? I'll wake you up when we get there."

"Okay." Nanoha closed her eyes and rested her head against the passenger door frame. The sound of the tires humming across the pavement was soothing, as was Fate's gentle presence beside her. She could tell Fate was easing into the curves when she turned and stopping slower than usual in consideration for her.

She fell asleep again somewhere along the way home, waking up only when the car had been turned off in their driveway. Fate was just exiting the car when Nanoha reached over and grabbed her by the arm.

"Don't you dare try to spoil me anymore, Fate-chan," she said and opened up her own car door herself. Fate grunted slightly at her stubbornness.

"I'm still making you something to eat while you go lay down. You can't stop me."

"It better not be anything fancy."

Fate puffed out her cheeks. "Just go inside, Nanoha."

"No, not until you agree to make something simple."

An intense staring match started between the two that challenged each others wills. Nanoha made her eyes wider and leaned in close to Fate across the console. Fate held back as long as she could but eventually broke down into a smile first. They both fell into fits of laughter together afterward.

"Ahh, I always win," Nanoha said and exited the car.

"Only because you cheat."

Nanoha followed Fate inside their quiet house and felt relieved to be out of the bright sunlight. She removed her uniform jacket and let down her hair even before Fate had closed and locked the door behind them. Even in those simple motions, Nanoha could tell that her body was much weaker than normal. She started to feel a little panicked when she realized that Vivio would be out of school in a few hours. Her daughter had training practice afterward, which Nanoha usually picked her up from in the late afternoon after work.

"Hey, are you going to be able to pick up Vivio today?"

"Um-hmm. And I'll make dinner for us, too. It's going to be okay, I promise. You aren't going to get any rest if you worry about us too much."

"Okay... I'm really glad you're here, Fate-chan. Thank you."

"No problem. I'll see you in the bedroom in a few minutes."

Nanoha stretched and yawned as she walked through the rear hallway. She had to brace herself against the walls a few times when suddenly stumbled. She was frustrated at the situation because she didn't have any control over it or her body. And the only she could do to fix it was to do absolutely nothing.

When she pulled opened her dresser drawer, she chose her favorite baby tee and yoga pants to nap in versus pajamas since it was still daytime. She crawled into bed as she had been instructed, although once she had placed her head on the pillow she suddenly felt wide awake. She stared above her and found her mind wrapped up in her brief conversation with Shamal earlier.

The doctor had suggested that there was nothing wrong with having something 'casual' with Fate. Now that Nanoha was seriously considering it, she wanted to know what that meant exactly. She sat up and brought Raising Heart's transmitter screen in front of her to begin searching for the definition of 'casual relationship'.

"_A casual sexual relationship is a physical and/or emotional relationship between two people who have sex without expecting the extra commitments of a more formal romantic relationship._"

"Hmmm... Yep, sounds about right," she muttered under her breath as she read it over a few times.

"What are you doing?"

"AHH!" Nanoha shouted at Fate's unnoticed entrance into the bedroom. She quickly exited the screen and laid back down on the pillow again.

"That wasn't resting," Fate scolded her. She was currently balancing a food tray in her hands with what looked to be a bowl of soup and some crackers on top, along with a cup of orange juice.

"I promise I wasn't working."

"Are you sure about that?" Fate asked as she placed the tray over her so that she could eat in bed. Nanoha carefully sat up to avoid spilling anything. She was happy to see that Fate had simply warmed up some chicken and rice from a can versus trying to cook anything complex in the situation.

"I'm sure. I was just looking up something. But I'm done now."

Fate crossed to the other side of the bed all while watching Nanoha skeptically. She sat down on her side and leaned her back against the headboard. Even though it appeared she was just there to keep her company, Nanoha knew Fate was really staying to make sure she ate the food on the tray in front of her.

"What were you looking up?" Fate eventually asked.

"Something I wasn't too sure about," Nanoha replied vaguely. She stuffed her mouth with a cracker so she couldn't answer any more questions like that for the time being.

Fate waited for her to finish chewing. "So tell me where I'm supposed to pick up Vivio again? It's been a while since I've had to do it."

The two discussed where Vivio had training practice at and what Fate should make them for dinner. Nanoha was grateful for the temporary distraction from her own thoughts, as well as avoiding Fate's questioning of what she had been looking up. She knew that subject would be dealt with soon enough, but she wanted to be in a better position than her current one before taking that final step.

After she was done eating most of the food, Fate rose again from the bed to take the tray away. Nanoha stopped her from leaving the bedroom by reaching for her hand. Fate stepped back the few feet back to stand next to the bed again.

"Yes?"

Nanoha took a deep breath. "You meant me, right? Last night, you said that you would consider the casual thing with someone. I just wanted to know if you were talking about me or not."

Fate paused and debated whether to disclose the truthful answer to Nanoha or not. She knew the admission may change everything between them, perhaps forever. Sapphire eyes gleaned and searched hers earnestly while she waited for the answer. Fate could see from the expression that Nanoha was sincerely interested in pursuing the option with her just as much as she was.

"Yes, I was talking about you last night, Nanoha," she admitted.

Nanoha closed her eyes and nodded. "Okay, Fate-chan."

"Why don't you get some more rest? That's a discussion for a later time." Fate guided Nanoha to lay back down in the bed. She pushed her bangs away from her forehead one last time and ran her hand along her still flushed cheek.

"Alright. But for sure later, right?" Nanoha replied and got more comfortable in her spot on the bed. Fate picked up the tray from the bed again and began to exit the bedroom.

"Of course. But sleep as much as you can now."

**oOOOo**

The bedroom was dark when Nanoha finally opened her eyes again. Her sleep had been effortless and deep with no weighted dreams to keep her from getting real rest. She sat up in the bed and felt as if she had her usual amount of energy back. It wasn't until she was fully recovered now did she realize just how poorly she felt earlier. A glance at the clock read half past nine o'clock.

She felt a bit remorseful that she had missed seeing Vivio all day and knew she was most likely already asleep by now. She tossed the covers away and made her way to the vanity mirrors around the corner wall. After sleeping so long, all she wanted to do was wash her face and brush her teeth. She stared back at her reflection in the mirror as she dried her face. She could still see that despite all the restful sleep, she still seemed to be carrying a lot of tension.

She tossed the hand towel onto the counter and breathed deeply a few times to calm her nerves. She was through worrying about what to do anymore. She had made up her mind, and she wasn't going to stop until she did what she felt was necessary.

A quick glance at Vivio's closed bedroom door in the hallway confirmed that she was already asleep for the night. From the living room, Nanoha could hear Fate doing the dishes in the kitchen. She was just turning off the faucet and drying her hands on a towel when she heard Nanoha enter in the doorway.

"Hey, you're up. You look like you feel better, too."

"I do," Nanoha replied and walked directly towards her.

Fate placed the towel back on the counter. "That's good. I was hoping that - "

Nanoha captured Fate's lips with her own and silenced her mid-sentence. Fate stepped back and fell into the counter at the completely unexpected move. She froze against it and Nanoha pushed against her a bit harder.

"Are you sure about this?" she asked against Nanoha's mouth.

"Yes. I want you, Fate-chan," Nanoha replied and pushed into her again.

Fate pushed Nanoha back towards the nearby counter and leaned her body against hers. She placed a leg between hers and turned her attention to her neck. "Mmmm..." Nanoha moaned loudly and slid her fingers through her hair. The bottom cabinet banged shut a few times as their legs ran up against it.

Fate moved them away from the counter and back towards the kitchen exit. The two stumbled their way through the living room towards the hallway. They were careful to walk quietly past Vivio's door towards their room.

Nanoha led them into the bedroom first. She removed her shirt from over her head and tossed it away while she walked further inside. Fate took the cue after locking the door and started taking off her clothes as well. Nanoha faced her again once she was in just her bra and underwear. She found Fate in hers as well.

"Did you just buy that?" Nanoha asked. She walked back against the room and wrapped her arms around her neck.

"The bra? I bought it last time I was in town."

"Oh, okay. It looks really good on you." Nanoha pulled Fate's lips down to hers again. She could feel herself being guided towards the bed as they kissed. Nanoha eagerly brought her hands up to Fate's face as she laid down on it. Fate eased herself on top on her.

Nanoha immediately pushed Fate onto her back and sat with her legs around her hips instead. She slowly unhooked her bra and slid it off her shoulders. Fate's hands immediately raised to touch her exposed chest. Nanoha began to rock her hips against her as she relished the feeling of her hands on her skin.

"You didn't want me to be on top?" Fate asked.

Nanoha licked her lips slightly and closed her eyes as she moved. "Um-um. It's my turn, remember?"

Fate smiled up at her. "Okay. Is there anything you want me to do then?"

"I'll tell you what feels good to me, Fate-chan. You do the same, okay?"

"No problem." Nanoha leaned her body over and kissed her again, first gently and carefully. The exchange soon turned more passionate as the two more hungrily explored each other. Nanoha let herself linger there until she was left breathless with Fate's intimate and sincere touch. She pulled away to give her attention to Fate's neck.

"I really like the way that feels, Nanoha." Fate placed her hand on the top of Nanoha's head and watched her adept mouth begin its journey down her chest and abdomen next.

"I like when you run you fingers through my hair," Nanoha mentioned as ran the tip of her tongue along Fate's navel.

Fate slid her fingers through the copper-hued locks and began to guide them through the strands. Nanoha slid her hands up Fate's stomach slowly at the same time until they reached her black bra. She gently pulled it up and out of her way and began to play with Fate's breasts in her hands.

"I liked when you use your mouth on them." Nanoha smiled and pulled her body back up to do as requested. The blonds breath soon became labored the more she licked and sucked at the sensitive tips.

Fate's legs bent at the knees at either side of her. She trailed her foot up and down Nanoha's thigh and shifted her hips restlessly. "What else did you want, Fate-chan?" Nanoha then asked. "You have to tell me."

"Your hand first," she replied with a shortness in her breath. Nanoha's hand trailed down the smooth skin of her toned abdomen until it found Fate's sensitive nerves. She started caressing and stroking gently.

"God, that feels good..." Fate moaned. Her hands clenched the sheets beside her and she dug her heel into the bed. Nanoha returned her mouth's attention to her breasts again. Fate's hands made their way back into her hair and clenched her locks tightly. Nanoha then thought she felt Fate pushing her head downward.

"Nyahaha, is that a request?" she asked playfully. Fate could barely breathe a response.

Nanoha removed the last garment standing in the way of what she wanted. Fate lost herself completely as Nanoha's lips and tongue mastered her body once again. And when Nanoha teased her fingers along her thigh before entering inside of her, she had to cover her loud moans and cries in her hands.

Nanoha's face was flushed as she discovered and explored Fate's nuanced responses. She liked it slow and deep, and Nanoha was more than willing to give her what she wanted. She soon felt Fate's body become silently rigid beneath her gentle and persistent touch. She clutched at Nanoha's shoulders and dug her nails into her skin as she rode out each wave and ripple of intense pleasure.

Nanoha pulled her mouth away once she had relaxed again. She rested her head against her thigh and caught her breath. "Are you okay?"

Fate let her arms fall away from her face and onto the bed. "Y-Yeah..." she replied with a clumsy nod. Nanoha crawled back up the bed to lay on the pillow beside her for a few silent moments. She then raised her hand above her as if she was trying to touch the sky.

"What do you think sex is like when you're flying?"

Fate immediately burst into laughter and looked over at her. "I'm pretty sure that's against all the flight-clearance rules, Nanoha."

"Someone has to have done it at some point, though. I'm sure of it."

Fate shook her head and tried to block the images of all the magic-users she knew now trying to flood her brain. She instead positioned herself on top and found Nanoha to be a better distraction. She felt legs wrap around her waist, a motion that nearly sent her over the edge again.

Nanoha suddenly looked down. "Wait, take off my underwear. I want to see what that feels like." Fate raised her eyebrows and glanced down as well.

"What it feels like?" she repeated in confusion. She then understood completely what she meant. She linked her thumbs through Nanoha's waistband and slid the garment off her legs. Once they had been tossed away to the floor, she waited for the next instruction from her.

"I guess just lean yourself down against m – Ahh! Oh, god...! Oh... Oh, that feels really good..." Nanoha bit her lips to keep herself quiet as Fate started to move herself against her, although their bed proved to be a lot noisier than she had anticipated.

"I can't believe how good this feels," Fate groaned. Nanoha wrapped her body around Fate's completely and splayed her hands across her toned shoulders. She slid them down her back and then back up, attempting to memorize the feel and definition of the woman above her.

"Wow. You're really sexy, Fate-chan," she mentioned. Fate pulled back to face her but still continued to thrust and move her hips slowly.

"Are we doing that? That's not against any rules or anything?"

"Compliments? No, compliments are fine."

"In that case... You're really good with your mouth, Nanoha."

Nanoha weighed the statement. "Alright. That's a start."

"You're also really pretty."

"That's better," she replied with a laugh. "Thank you."

"No problem."

Nanoha met her eyes. "I want to know what this is like too," she said and ran her fingertips lightly across Fate's lips. The two both paused as she let them linger there without pulling away. Fate bent down and kissed Nanoha softly before guiding herself on a slow path down her body.

"Mmmm..." she moaned at her first gentle stroke. She slid her hands into her blond hair as if to keep her right there. The sensations and pleasure were intense and intimate, unlike anything Nanoha had experienced before in her life. She raised her hips in anticipation and Fate responded with her hand in return.

Nanoha's breath became choppy as her chest quickly rose and fell. "Fate... cha... it feels..." She didn't finish the sentence and instead gave in completely to intensity of her touch. She grasped Fate's free hand in hers and leaned her head back into the pillow.

There was a fulfillment inside of her with each rhythmic thrust of her hand and caress of her tongue. She surrendered to the waves of ecstasy that Fate was willing and able to give to her. They soon flooded into the longest, hottest, most intense releases of her life. When she couldn't handle the sensations anymore, she gently pushed her head away.

The blond fell over onto the bed and recovered near Nanoha's thighs. She then resumed her position on her side of the bed next to her. Nanoha turned her head to the side to face her.

"Where did you learn how to do that so well?"

"I saw it in a movie once."

"A movie, huh? Were you watching naughty movies while I was asleep earlier, Fate-chan?"

"Maybe?" she replied playfully. "Actually, it was a documentary on the mating rituals of lions in Africa."

"No, it wasn't."

"Yep, it really was."

Nanoha turned over onto her side to face away from her. "I'm going to sleep."

"'_Cougars on the Prowl_' was the title of it," she announced to Nanoha's back.

"What?!" Nanoha exclaimed. She immediately sat up in the bed. "You're into _cougars, _Fate-chan?"

"Well, not after that... Okay, maybe a little."

Nanoha paused the conversation and studied Fate's expressionless face, trying to gauge whether she was being serious or just joking around. Fate finally winked and smiled at her. Nanoha's head fell back on the pillow.

"There should be a rule about that."

"About what?"

"No joking in bed about sleeping with women our mothers' age. That's too creepy."

Fate laughed and crawled over to the other side of the bed. She kissed Nanoha's pouting lips. "What else are the rules, Nanoha?"

"Hmm... For starters, you and I both know exactly what this is. And we don't try to make it into something more than either of us want."

"That's fine. I completely again."

"No sex when Vivio is awake," Nanoha continued.

"No problem."

"And we don't start calling or messaging each other endlessly. That would be the worst."

"So basically we do what we were doing before, and just have sex on top of that? Nothing changes?"

Nanoha nodded. "Yep. And no matter what happens, we always stay friends." She extended her pinky up in the air, just as they always did as children. Fate laughed and grabbed Nanoha's with her own in return.

"Of course. Friends... always and forever."

* * *

**A/N:** I will be pausing in this story temporarily to update a few of my others, but I will be returning to this shortly. The chapters for the other stories are already written and I just have to proofread and finalize them. See you soon! ~Nissanity~


	5. Chapter 5 - Trial and Error

**A/N:** After a few reviews and PM's asking that I update this story first/faster than the others, I decided I would go ahead and honor those requests. I still have updates coming to my other stories, but it's taking me a lot more time than I thought it would to finalize those chapters. I wasn't happy with the way they were turning out and I feel they need some major work before I release them. I just want to assure the readers of the other stories that I haven't forgotten about them in lieu of this one or anything.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters from or the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha anime, nor any other movie, actor, song, or character referenced or stated in this story.

* * *

******FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS**

by : ~Nissanity~

******Chapter 5 – ****__****Trial and Error**

* * *

_~Day 3~_

It was still dark outside when Fate's internal alarm clock woke her up from her restful sleep. She stretched her arms above her head and then glanced down to discover she was still completely undressed from the night before. She looked across the bed and was greeted by the sight of Nanoha's exposed back. The top sheet was draped across her waist, leaving a hint of her buttocks exposed just above the edge of it.

She could hear Nanoha's deep breathing, indicating she was still very much asleep. Fate turned away from the sight of her naked roommate, best friend, and now casual lover and tried to push the image out of her mind. She and Nanoha had not established any ground rules about when and how often they would experiment with their new status together. She wasn't about to risk their arrangement in the beginning by pushing for too much, especially so early in the morning.

She stared at the ceiling and contemplated just how awake she was. She decided the answer was so much so that she couldn't fall back asleep again. Her finger tapped repeatedly on her stomach as she glanced over again and found Nanoha still lying in the same position. She was sore from her jog yesterday, along with the other physical activities she had been involved in, so going for a run that morning was out of the question. She then had an idea she decided she could pursue instead.

She gently pushed the comforter and sheet off of her and walked towards the bathroom in the dark, being careful not to trip over any wayward clothing in her path. She shut the door first and then turned on the overhead light. She eventually reached in to the shower stall and turned on the faucets of the shower, although the handle for the cold water was turned up significantly higher than the hot one.

The somewhat tepid water stung like needles as it washed over her body. She had never had the need to take one of these fabled 'cold showers' before, but the mere sight of Nanoha naked beside her spurred a reaction in her almost instantly.

"Cold, cold, cold," she repeated quietly and danced around a little bit. A few minutes after she had begun the almost painful experience, the bathroom door unexpectedly opened and then shut again. Fate looked through the glass of the shower stall and found bewildered sapphire eyes staring at her.

"Fate-chan... What are you doing up so early?"

"Hey, Nanoha. I couldn't sleep anymore so I thought I would get this out of the way first."

"Oh, okay. Do you mind if I join you?"

Fate glanced down at the cold water faucet first and then back at her. Before she could make any motion to change the temperature, Nanoha walked inside the shower stall and closed the door behind her. Nanoha tested the water under her hand and then immediately pulled it away as if it had stabbed her.

"A cold shower? Are you crazy?!" she scolded. She reached her arm through the water stream and turned the hot water tap up almost fully.

"I thought it might help," Fate replied and shrugged.

"Help with what? Oh, were you...? Well, just wake me up next time. Or take care of yourself in the shower. But you don't have to do strange things like that."

"I can wake you up for that?" she asked with playful suspicion.

"Well, maybe? Actually, I don't want to say yes to that for sure. Give it a shot sometime and see how it goes."

"Alright, we'll see. Are you okay being up this early again?"

Nanoha nodded. "Um-hmm. I feel better today. Oh, and I already started the coffee. It should be ready when we get out."

"Alright, the water is warm enough now." Fate reached for her hand to pull her under the shower head with her. She had turned to the side to retrieve her body wash when she felt Nanoha's hand grasp her on her shoulder. She looked up just as Nanoha began to guide her towards the back wall of the shower. She pressed her lips against hers a second later.

Fate allowed her gentle touch to completely overwhelm her senses. She felt Nanoha's fingertips running across her chest and down stomach as she pressed against her, momentarily taking her breath away. She wrapped arm firmly around her waist and pulled her closer into her.

Nanoha pulled away slightly to catch her breath and to study the woman in front of her. She didn't realize kissing Fate would be so fun and sensual to the point it could almost become addicting. Fate leaned in to kiss her again but paused just before their lips met. She smiled and closed the gap a little further but not completely. Nanoha searched the burgundy eyes that were now only inches away, challenging her. Teasing her. It became a test to see which of the two would succumb to their desires first and close the distance between them again.

The sound of the door bathroom door suddenly opening behind them pulled them both back into reality. The steam from the hot shower had fogged up the glass to the point neither could see out of it.

"Mama?" a small voice echoed across the bathroom walls. Fate drug her hand across the glass to wipe away some of the fog. She found bewildered red and green eyes staring back at her.

Fate turned to face Nanoha. "It's Vivio," she announced.

Nanoha giggled. "Well, of course it's Vivio!"

"What are you guys doing?" their daughter then asked, her voice laced with an accusatory tone.

"Um..." Fate looked to Nanoha for support. She shrugged in return and waited to see what Fate managed to come up with. "We were wrestling, Vivio," she finally told her.

"I though we weren't supposed to do that in the house?" Vivio said sternly. She crossed her arms over her small chest for emphasis.

"You're right, sweetie," Nanoha replied. "We shouldn't be wrestling in the house. Go back to bed and try to get a little more sleep, okay? I'll make waffles for breakfast if you do."

Vivio's face immediately brightened. "From scratch?!"

"Um-hmm. I'll wake you up when they're ready."

"Okay!" Vivio left the bathroom in a flash. Nanoha and Fate both relaxed again.

"I think that counts as Vivio being awake," Fate said.

"Yep." Nanoha kissed her lightly before exiting the shower. "I guess you're on your own this morning after all, Fate-chan."

Fate watched Nanoha leave out of the bathroom door moments later. She sighed when she realized she was now in a worse state than when she had entered the shower initially. She eyed the cold tap again but opted for the other option she had to ease the tension, something she had never attempted before in her life.

**oOOOo**

"Vivio! Fate-chan! Breakfast is ready!"

Fate was the first to enter into the kitchen to find Nanoha standing in front of the counter. She was busy plating one of her homemade waffles for Vivio and didn't seem to hear her come in. Fate crossed the kitchen to wrap her arms around Nanoha's waist as usual and received a playful gasp and giggle in return.

"Those looks good," she said as she eyed the other two waffles already made.

"Thank you. How was your shower after I left?"

"Not as much fun without you, honestly."

Nanoha turned and placed the plate between them. "I think you're already spoiled, Fate-chan."

"Yep. I'm ruined," she replied and took their daughter's breakfast to the other room. Nanoha followed behind shortly after with coffee and their own plates. Vivio's shoes echoed loudly in the hallway as she ran towards the dining room.

"No running in the house, Vivio," Fate reminded her as the little girl starting pulling her chair out.

"Sorry, Fate-mama. I was just excited."

"I know. Make sure you thank Nanoha for doing this, okay?"

"Thank you for the waffles, Mama!" Vivio said happily once Nanoha was able to take her seat at the table as well.

"You're welcome, Vivio. Did you sleep well?"

"Kind of. I heard you guys jumping on the bed a lot last night. I thought we weren't supposed to do that in the house, either?"

Fate's fork clanged loudly onto her plate, having dropped it in complete shock over the sudden statement. Nanoha spit out a bit of her coffee at the same time. She then wiped her mouth slowly and stared blankly at Fate next to her.

"Y-You're right. We shouldn't be jumping on the bed, either," Fate stammered.

Nanoha shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Don't worry, Vivio. Your Fate-mama is going to work on that today so that you won't hear something like that again. Isn't that right, Fate-chan?"

Fate stared wide-eyed and eventually gave her a slow nod in compliance. "Yeah, that's not a problem. I'll get started on it after you guys leave."

Bardiche's alert suddenly chimed to signal to Fate that she had received a message. She soon became lost in thought as she read the contents of the message on the transmitter screen.

"What is it?" Nanoha eventually asked.

"My mother is coming to Mid-Childa. She says she there's a conference at headquarters starting on Monday. She wants to know if it's okay if she and Arf come to visit us this weekend beforehand?"

Nanoha smiled. "Of course it is! We haven't seen Lindy or Arf in quite a while."

"Yay! Grandma's coming!" Vivio cried.

Fate hummed slightly. "Well, I'll have to make sure the air mattress is still okay before they get here. They can have our bed and we will just sleep on it in the living room."

Nanoha's face fell slightly in realization of the full impact of the visit. "Oh... Well, we will just have to make due while they're here, won't we?"

"Seems like it," Fate replied.

"Vivio, hurry up and eat. We don't want to be late," Nanoha added.

Fate and Nanoha kept quiet during the family breakfast together, only occasionally reminding Vivio to chew slower or to not kick her feet under the table. Nanoha was mortified that their daughter had heard them the night before and didn't really feel like talking much. Fate was distracted as she contemplated just how she was going to fix the bed.

"Don't worry. I'll clean up," Fate assured Nanoha as she and Vivio stood from the table after finishing breakfast.

Nanoha watched Vivio leave the dining room and then leaned over Fate's shoulder. "Do whatever it takes, Fate-chan," she whispered.

Fate nodded earnestly. "I know. It'll be fixed before you get home tonight."

After doing the dishes and seeing Nanoha and Vivio off, Fate returned to the bedroom determined to find a solution. She knelt down beside the bed to try to gauge just where all the squeaking was coming from on the frame. She and Nanoha had owned the bed for almost two years at that point and never noticed it before. Of course, that was when the bed was used for nothing more than sleeping.

A quick trip to the garage was necessary to retrieve the spray lubricant and a few wrenches. She initially tried to oil the nuts and bolts around the edges but found no improvement once she bounced up and down on the bed a few times. She then attempted to tighten the bolts with the same end result. After the better part of an hour, she looked under the bed itself and found the culprits to be the multiple springs supporting the bed itself on the rails.

She remembered that they had bought the frame used to begin with and decided that the worn springs probably weren't worth messing around with. They were attached to the headboard though, so if they went went then it needed to go as well. She eyed their heavy California king-sized bed with the solid oak headboard and knew it would be a task for more than just one person. She pulled her contact list up on her cell phone and found the one person she knew she could trust to assist her in the situation.

"Hey, are you busy right now?" Fate asked her. "Oh, good. Can you stop by my house for a minute? I need your help with something."

**oOOOo**

"Oy, these recruits are the worst bunch yet!" Vita grumbled.

"You say that every time, Vita," Nanoha replied with a small laugh. She looked across the large practice grounds at the thirty TSAB recruits that had just begun formal Enforcer training that day. They were certainly rough around the edges, but Nanoha had seen much worse during her time as an instructor.

"_Helloooo!_" a cheerful voice sang from behind them. Nanoha didn't turn around and instead continued to monitor the recruits' statuses on the screen.

"Hello, Hayate," Nanoha greeted in return.

"Good morning, Nanoha. Hello, Vita. How are things going here?"

"It's doing well. We had - "

"Hey! HEY! Are you freakin' crazy?!" Vita shouted at one of the recruits trying to perform an unauthorized attack. "Nanoha, I'll be right back. I've got to deal with an idiot."

Hayate waved goodbye as she stomped off. "Are you feeling better today, Nanoha?"

"Yes, I am. Thank you."

"Good, good. I talked to Shamal this morning to make sure you were cleared for work. Just formalities, really. So, you and Fate have decided to try the whole 'friends with benefits' thing after all?"

Nanoha spun around to glare daggers at her. "What the...? Shamal wasn't supposed to tell you that!"

"She didn't, actually. You just did." Hayate turned to smile smugly at her. Nanoha looked away in frustration at having been caught so easily again.

"Damnit, Hayate..." she muttered.

"Well, you two have a rock solid friendship. I'm sure that it's going to be fine! Even if you guys sleep with other people at the same time, too."

Nanoha looked at her from the corner of her eye. "What are you talking about?" she asked skeptically.

"Huh? Oh, I just know that usually people have that sort of arrangement so that they aren't tied down to just one person. I mean, that's the point right?"

"Yes, that's right..." Nanoha confirmed quietly and turned back to her screen. She distractedly pressed a few buttons to bring up the next training module for the recruits. She was now finding herself trying to push away thoughts of Fate in bed with someone else.

"Hell, Fate could be doing it now for all you know! It sounds like a lot of fun, really," Hayate added.

"Yep, a total blast," Nanoha said sarcastically in return. She knew exactly what Hayate was trying to do to make her jealous. And what was making her the most upset was that she was succeeding.

Hayate's cellphone suddenly rang and interrupted their conversation. She pulled it out of her pocket to check the caller ID and shook her head regretfully. "Sorry, Nanoha. I've got to take this. We'll talk again soon, okay?"

"Sure. I can't wait."

Nanoha watched Hayate walk away feeling frustrated and angry after their conversation, although rationally she knew she shouldn't be feeling that way at all. Vita plodded back to the observation deck after having a few choice words with the recruit in question who had disobeyed instructions.

"Why do you look so pissed off all of a sudden?" Vita asked as she climbed the stairs.

"I'm not," Nanoha growled. "Hayate's just starting something with me again for no good reason." Vita could see Nanoha's jaw clench tightly the longer she thought about it.

"Whatever you say, Nanoha. Just don't start screwing up here because she got under your skin. I actually want to get out of work on time today."

**oOOOo**

"Hey, thanks for coming," Fate said as she answered the expected knock on the front door. She opened it wider to let her visitor in.

"Sure. No problem," Teana replied, although she was looking somewhat warily at Fate as she entered into the house. "So, what needs to be done that requires two people?"

Fate began leading Teana to the bedroom after shutting the door. "I have to take apart our bed frame. There's no way I could do it by myself since the bed so big."

"What's wrong with it?"

"Um..." Fate stalled with answering the question until they were in the bedroom. "Well, the springs on the frame are kind of worn out on it. I was just going to get rid of the whole thing."

Teana stared at Fate's face now beginning to glow a bright red after the statement. She then turned her vision to the bed. She finally closed her eyes and faced the ceiling once she put all the pieces together. "Oh, for god sakes..."

"It's not what you think!" Fate said quickly in her defense. "Nanoha and I didn't wear them out. They were already worn out. But we didn't realize that until last night."

"Ugh!" Teana groaned further. "I think we're definitely crossing the line into too much information here."

"Y-Yeah... Sorry about that. I couldn't really do this myself, though. And I know I can trust you with all this."

Teana softened her stance significantly after the statement. "No, it's alright Fate. I'm glad you feel that way. Well, what's the first step then?"

"I think we need to get the mattress and box springs up and off the frame first. We can lean them up against the wall."

"Sounds good." Teana positioned herself on the opposite side of the bed from Fate so that they could lift the oversized mattress together. "So, is this congratulations for you two?"

"No, not really. It's not serious between us or anything."

"Oh, it's not?" Teana asked. She could help but grin to herself at the amount of work Fate was willing to put in for something she considered not serious, but she wasn't about to bring it up to her.

"It kind of just... happened," Fate added. The two worked as a team to get the box springs up off the frame next.

"You know, I was in that situation once," Teana mentioned.

Fate held back her surprise at the open admission. She wasn't used to the reserved woman being so forthright with her personal life. "Oh, yeah? How did that go?"

"Well, it didn't last long. It was one of the more awkward situations I've found myself in."

"I'd ask who, but I'm sure I can figure it out."

"Yeah, it's pretty obvious," Teana replied with a small smile. "There are the people you date, and then there are the ones you marry. What's left are the friends you should never go there with at all."

"Did it affect your friendship?"

"Yeah, it almost ruined it. There were a lot of hurt feelings and crying for a while. I've learned never to cross that line again with someone I couldn't risk losing in my life. Not unless I was absolutely sure about my feelings for them."

Fate smiled and shook her head. "I don't think that could happen with me and Nanoha. We've already promised we would always be friends, even if this whole casual thing didn't work out."

Teana remained silent about the issue as she helped Fate remove the bolts connecting the frame to the headboard. She wasn't surprised in the slightest that the two had discovered an attraction to each other, but how they were approaching it seemed to be a bit risky to her in her own opinion. Especially after what she had gone through with Subaru herself.

Once they had taken apart the bed frame and moved the headboard off to the side, they brought the box springs and mattress back down to the floor and placed them in their original spot. They each turned their head to the side as they assessed the extremely low bed laying on the floor.

"Um, Fate? I hate to break this to you but I don't think that's going to work."

"Hmmm... Should we try sliding the headboard back to the front of the bed, maybe? That way it looks better?"

Teana laughed and shook her head. "I think bed frames exist for a reason. That headboard would probably fall down on you guys while you slept."

Fate looked down at her watch. "Well, it's five hours before Nanoha and Vivio get home. That's more than enough time to buy a new frame and put it together."

"Put it together? Can't you just hire someone to do it or something?"

"It wouldn't happen by today, and that's not going to work. It, um... has to be done before... you know..."

Teana gritted her teeth at her disclosure of too much information again to her. She fished her keys out of her pocket and started walking out of the bedroom door before Fate could finish her thought. "Come on, let's go to the furniture store then. We can take my car. We'll be able to fit more boxes in it if we need to."

**oOOOo**

Nanoha felt relieved once she turned down the last street of the trip home after her extremely long and stressful day at work. She hadn't had a chance to message Fate to ask her how the bed was coming along due to her hectic day. She was curious to see the resolution she had come up with.

"Mama, whose car is that?" Vivio asked from the back seat as they pulled up into the driveway. Nanoha's heart sank as she eyed the unfamiliar vehicle that she was parking next to in front of their house. She was already on edge after her conversation with Hayate. The last thing she wanted to do was come home and be faced with the possibility of Fate being in bed with someone else. Especially in their own home.

"I don't know who's here, sweetie," Nanoha replied as she shut off the engine. She eyed the front door of their home with increasing anger. "Can you stay out here in the car for a minute, please? I'm going to see what's going on."

"Okay, Mama."

Fate could hear a car door shut loudly outside the window from the bedroom. She sighed as she looked around at the scattered parts on the floor and the mattresses leaning against the wall. "Damn, I was hoping to have this put together before Nanoha got home."

"Well, it's not like these instructions are all that easy to follow," Teana mentioned as she held the pages out in front of her. She turned one around a few times and wondered if she had it right side up or not.

The front door soon opened and then slammed shut so hard the walls shook. Fate and Teana looked at each other in a panic. "Fate-chan, where the FUCK ARE YOU?!" they then heard Nanoha shout from the other room.

"Oh, shit..." Teana gasped. She stood up from the floor and fumbled for her device to transform if necessary. She wanted to be prepared in case Nanoha decided to use the Starlight Breaker option on her.

Heavy footsteps could be heard coming down the hallway towards the closed bedroom door. Fate reached over and held one of the stray bars of the frame in front of her for protection. The door burst open and Nanoha furiously stormed inside. After a few steps, she stopped dead in her tracks after assessing the situation.

"Oh! Oh..." Nanoha said in surprise and then embarrassment. "I'm sorry, I thought you were... Well, it doesn't matter what I thought, actually."

"Hey, Nanoha," Teana said weakly after remembering to breath again.

"Hi, Teana. I'm sorry about all that. I-I think I might have overreacted just now. I apologize."

"It's okay. I understand."

"Um... thank you for helping Fate-chan with this," she added.

"It's no problem, really."

Fate looked up nervously at Nanoha. "I know it's a mess in here. I thought we could get it done before you got home."

Nanoha relaxed a little more. "It's okay, Fate-chan. I'm really sorry about that... I think I'll just go and start dinner while you work on this. Would you like to stay and join us, Teana?"

Teana smiled at her politely and then handed Fate the instructions. "No, that's alright. I've about had it with this bed frame, honestly. I'll leave it up to you guys. See ya, Fate."

"I'll call you tomorrow, Teana," Fate replied. She turned her attention back to the catastrophe around her as the two left the bedroom. Nanoha followed Teana out of the house and into the driveway so that she could retrieve Vivio from the car. She stopped them a few feet in front of their vehicles.

"I really am sorry about that, Teana. I don't even know what came over me."

"It's okay, Nanoha... You know, I don't think you need to worry about Fate doing whatever it is you thought she was doing. I'm not sure what's going on between you two, but I can tell you she wouldn't do that."

"Yeah, I know," Nanoha said quietly. She nodded her head a few times in embarrassment. "I really don't have a right to act like that anyway."

"Well, yes and no. You do when it involves the home you share together. There are certain things that have to be respected and I know she knows that."

"Thank you, Teana." Nanoha gave her a quick hug goodbye. "I'll make sure to clear it up with her tonight."

"See you later." Teana gave Vivio a wave goodbye through the windshield before climbing into her vehicle and backing out of the driveway.

Vivio began to struggle impatiently to get out of her seatbelt as Nanoha tried to unbuckle her. "Well, just give me a second," she said as she fumbled for the button.

"I want to see Fate-mama! I missed her all day."

"Alright, she's in the bedroom. But be careful in there and don't touch anything."

Vivio was out of the backseat and up the driveway before Nanoha could even shut the car door behind her. Nanoha retrieve her purse from the car and headed inside after her. In the kitchen, she started to automatically pull ingredients out of the pantry and refrigerator to make dinner that evening. She managed to ignore the embarrassment she felt over her jealous reaction earlier for the time being.

**oOOOo**

"Here, Fate-chan." Nanoha held out a plate of food for Fate, who was sitting on the bedroom floor with her face buried in her hands. She had never seen her so frustrated with something like this task before.

Fate looked up in surprise and gratefully took the plate from her. "Oh. Thank you, Nanoha. I didn't hear you come in just now."

Nanoha sat down on the floor and picked up the instructions that were laying next to her. She then looked around at the random parts that were scattered all around them. "Hmm, it's almost like they made the instructions too simple to where you can't tell which part is which."

"Um-hmm," Fate nodded after taking a bite of food. "Vivio figured out part of it, but then she got bored and left."

"That's kind of funny. Well, maybe we don't need a frame at all?"

Fate dropped her fork loudly onto the plate. "Why, so we can do it on the floor like animals, Nanoha?!"

Nanoha burst into laughter at Fate's unusual response. "HA! Ahh... I know you're only saying that because you're frustrated. You should eat. I can try to figure out some of it."

"Well, if you get it after all this time I'm going to - "

"That part is backwards." Nanoha pointed to a bar connected to the headboard that was stuck out at an odd angle. Fate looked over at it for a while and then back at her.

"You're sure?"

"I think so. And then that piece over there attaches to it."

Fate shook her head. "I should have just waited until you got home."

"Maybe so. We always figure out things when we're together anyway. Why would this be any different?" Nanoha smiled at Fate and patted her on the leg. She eventually received a relaxed and heartfelt smile in return from her.

"You're right, Nanoha. You're absolutely right. Let me finish eating and then we'll work on it together."

"Mama! Mama!" Vivio suddenly yelled from hallway. The excited girl ran into their bedroom and tackled her mother from behind. "I finished eating and doing my homework. Can I watch that movie we bought last week?"

"That's fine, baby. Do you know how to start it in the player?"

"Yep! Thanks, Mama!"

Fate and Nanoha watched Vivio fly out of the bedroom as fast as she had entered it. They both chuckled together at their daughter's high energy. Fate eventually put her plate down when she was finished eating.

"Nanoha, would you like to talk about what happened earlier?" she asked carefully.

Sapphire eyes shifted to the floor in embarrassment again. "I guess? I know I shouldn't have reacted that way. You have a right to see whoever you want without me acting all jealous."

Fate couldn't help but laugh a little. "You can't possibly think I'm interested in Teana like that?"

"Well, not her specifically, Fate-chan. I'm talking about generally."

"You really think I would do something like that?"

Nanoha tried to shrug casually. "It's not any of my business if you did."

Fate crawled across the floor and brushed her hand across Nanoha's cheek to try to reassure her. "Hey, I don't have any interest in doing that with anybody else, okay? And I especially wouldn't do something like that in the house. I respect you and our home more than anything."

"Okay, I can accept that. And I promise not to get jealous of you spending time with our friends anymore. That's not fair to you at all."

"It's a deal. Hey, how does that one saying go? Why buy the milk when you have the cow at home?" Fate immediately tensed up after her misstatement.

Nanoha recoiled and then slugged her in the arm. "What the hell, Fate-chan?!"

"Ow! Sorry, that came out all wrong," she replied as she rubbed the now sore spot on her bicep.

"Seriously, don't compare me to any sort of farm animal. That's terrible."

"I swear I won't ever do that again."

Nanoha rose from the floor in a huff while Fate grabbed the instructions to start looking them over again. She thought Nanoha was going to leave the room but was surprised to hear her close and lock the bedroom door instead. She looked up and found Nanoha eyeing her.

"What is it?" Fate asked.

"I don't know..." she replied as she crossed back across the room. She knelt down in front of Fate and slowly pulled the instructions out of her hand. "Something about what you said earlier had me intrigued."

Fate studied Nanoha eyes now just a foot from hers. "And what was that?"

"I think it was the part about doing it on the floor like animals."

"Really? But we'd be breaking a rule? Vivio is still awake."

Nanoha leaned in closer. "I guess we'd have to be extra quiet then. Unless you think you can't handle that?"

"I'm more than willing to try. Although the frame might not get put together tonight if that happens."

"Is that a problem?" Nanoha asked and removed her uniform jacket.

Fate watched silently as Nanoha slowly unbuttoned the top portion of her white shirt in front of her. She then pulled her to sit across her lap and helped her undo the rest. She could feel Nanoha shudder as she trailed her hands across her bare stomach and then along her waist. Her fingers had just found their way to the zipper on her blue skirt when a loud knock came to the door.

"Mama! I can't get the movie to play after all!" Vivio yelled from the other side. Nanoha and Fate both sighed heavily.

"Be right there, Vivio!" Nanoha replied.

"Looks like that rule exists for a reason," Fate mentioned. "I'll go help her. You can get dressed so we can finish putting this frame together. We might have to take a rain check on the other stuff for tonight."

"Okay, I guess..." Nanoha said reluctantly. She crossed her arms over her chest and began to pout.

Fate couldn't help but laugh at her reaction to the news as she stood up from the floor. She bent over and patted her on the head affectionately. "You know, you're just too cute sometimes, Nanoha."

* * *

**A/N:** See you soon with another update! ~Nissanity~


	6. Chapter 6 - All the More Reason

**A/N:** A special thanks to all the reviewers and followers of the story! I'll try to get another update out by this weekend.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters from or the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha anime, nor any other movie, actor, song, or character referenced or stated in this story.

* * *

******FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS**

by : ~Nissanity~

******Chapter 6 – ****__****All the More Reason**

* * *

_~Day 4~_

_It was mid-summer and electric blue was the color of the sky, as was the hue of the flowers across the meadow and the highlights in her eyes. It was a color one could get lost in, if they allowed themselves the pleasure of falling into it. _

"_They're different today," Fate told her and pointed to her own wine-tinted eyes as indication._

_Her beautiful smile matched the white cotton dress she was wearing. "It's because I'm happy right now,"she said as she reached for her hand._

"_You should be happy forever then. That way they won't ever change."_

_The smile never wavered, even as she shook her head regretfully. "That would be impossible, Fate-chan. Everything always changes..."_

* * *

Fate stirred when she felt something tickling her across her stomach. She blinked and opened her eyes, and was greeted first by the sight of her darkened bedroom. She tried to hold on to the dream she just had but found it quickly slipping away from her memory. Once she could finally focus her vision, she turned her head and found Nanoha laying right next to her. She was lightly tracing her finger up and down her abdomen.

"Nanoha...?" she said in confusion. "What time is it?"

"It's still early. But I felt like waking you up."

"Are you feeling alright?"

Nanoha trailed her hand along the lacing of her black nightie next. "Yes, I'm fine."

Burgundy eyes now searched Nanoha's in amusement. "Are you wanting to make good on that rain check from last night?"

"Is that okay?"

"I wouldn't say no to it."

Nanoha shifted until she was sitting on her waist with her legs seated on either side of her. Fate was finding the position to be Nanoha's favorite when they first started being intimate together. It wasn't until she ran her hands along her hips did she realize Nanoha was already naked from the waist down. She took Fate's hand in hers and guided it between her legs.

"Are you already...?"

"Um-hmm," Nanoha nodded and began moving her hips. "I've been up for a while. I couldn't get back to sleep."

Fate watched Nanoha as she gasped and moaned quietly in her own world in response to the movements inside of her. She ran her free hand along the curve of Nanoha's breast and thumbed the tip until it became stiff. Nanoha gently massaged Fate's in return. It was the first time they had been silent together without feeling the need to tell each other what they wanted. Even in her inexperience, Fate already knew Nanoha's body well and how she liked to be touched.

Nanoha soon grasped Fate around the neck and spun them so she could be on her back to finish. Her legs wrapped around her waist while Fate continued to rhythmically push and pull her closer to edge. Nanoha sucked and bit her hard on the neck once she approached her limit.

She finally let out a ragged breath. "Fate... cha..." she whimpered.

The sound of her name moaned desperately in her ear sent the blood roaring through Fate's veins. Nanoha hadn't come down from her first wave of pleasure before Fate was already pushing herself against her. Nanoha arched her hips and dug her fingernails into her back as she felt Fate's body begin to tremble above her.

"Nano...ha..." she whispered over and over.

Fate clung tightly to her and buried her face in her shoulder to muffle her cries. They held on to each other as the tremors then shook both of their bodies. They momentarily lost themselves in each others embrace and the intense rush of sensations they were experiencing together. Fate covered Nanoha's moans by pushing their lips together through it. She didn't pull away until the release had passed for each of them.

Nanoha guided Fate back down to her again and wrapped herself around her completely. She let herself catch her breath and enjoy the warmth of the woman she was now cradling against her.

"I liked that it happened at the same time for both of us," she then said. "We should try to do that again next time."

A nod was all that could be given as a response. Fate tried to find her voice but discovered it just wasn't working.

**oOOOo**

"What do you think you're going to do today, Fate-chan?" Nanoha glanced over at Fate before putting the rest of the dirty breakfast dishes in the sink. The blond was leaning against the kitchen counter and keeping Nanoha company before she had to go to work.

Fate took a sip of her coffee and then shrugged. "I'm not sure, honestly. There isn't any more furniture laying around that I can fail at putting together."

"You could just be lazy all day if you wanted to? You haven't really had a day to yourself since you've been back."

"It's possible. I might see what Teana's up to today, though. I feel like I owe her lunch or something after everything I put her through yesterday."

"It might be nice to get out of the house and have some fun. Your mother and Arf will be here the day after tomorrow to visit. We'll be entertaining them all weekend as it is."

Vivio came running into the kitchen with her school backpack in her hands. Nanoha and Fate both looked down at her feet. "Your shoes are untied," they said to her in unison.

She puffed out her cheeks and put her backpack on. "I know. That's the style now."

"That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. Please tie your shoelaces so that we can go," Nanoha told her. She and Fate shared a smile together and shook their heads as Vivio begrudgingly bent over to tie them.

Blond hair was running back out of the kitchen in a flash, having only tied one of her shoes. Nanoha picked up her purse to race after her daughter before she tripped and fell. "I'd better go, Fate-chan. I'll see you after work." As she passed by Fate, she leaned forward and gave her a quick kiss goodbye.

"See you tonight." It took Nanoha a few steps before she could stop and turn around to face Fate again. They both realized simultaneously that Nanoha had just kissed her outside of their normal reasoning for doing so. Fate was now looking back at her with an equally perplexed look.

"Well, that was different," Fate finally said.

"Y-Yeah, um..." Nanoha stammered. A crash and a scream suddenly came near the front door before the two could discuss what had happened any further. The parents raced out of the kitchen to find Vivio sitting on the tiled floor in the entrance way. She was holding a bruised knee in her hands and crying crocodile tears.

"Vivio..." Nanoha warned in her most practiced mom-voice. She held her hand out to stop Fate from coming to her immediate assistance like she was prone to do.

A few sniffles escaped as the little girl slowly started tying the shoelaces that had caused the accident. Fate and Nanoha held back their laughter as they patiently waited for her to finish. Vivio finally stood up on her own and brushed off the back of her skirt. Nanoha opened the front door for her and she silently walked outside without even saying goodbye to Fate.

"See you later, Fate-chan." Nanoha followed Vivio out the door before she could do anything else out of the ordinary. Fate paused momentarily as she replayed the brief kiss with Nanoha in her mind. She then decided it best to brush off what happened in the kitchen as she closed the door behind them.

She felt it was still a bit too early to try to contact Teana about lunch and opted to take a shower first. On her way into the bedroom, she noticed her cellphone screen flashing from the nightstand. She retrieved it and checked the text message she had received while she had been busy seeing Nanoha and Vivio off for the day.

"_Busy today? If you're free, let's have lunch! ~ Ginga_"

Fate looked away from the cellphone and over to the bed and its new frame. She recalled the incident yesterday when Nanoha got jealous after discovering Teana's car in the driveway and how she had jumped to wrong conclusions. She also remembered the promise Nanoha made that she wouldn't get upset with her for spending time with her friends. Putting faith in her words, she texted a reply to Ginga's lunch offer.

"_Sounds good. Just tell me when and where and I'll meet you there._"

**oOOOo**

The main command center at TSAB headquarters was a sea of people chatting and typing away at predesignated computer terminals. Nanoha walked through the center aisle and was greeted by former training recruits, as well as other instructors and higher-ups in her chain of command. She eventually spotted the blue-haired woman she was looking for seated at one of the end terminals. She was surprised to see Teana hovering over her shoulder, apparently helping out with her report.

"Hey, guys," Nanoha greeted.

Subaru was instantly on her feet. "Nanoha! Hi, how are you?! What are you doing here?"

Nanoha giggled a little. "It's okay, Subaru. You can relax. I was just coming to see how that supplement to the report was coming."

"I was just helping her fix it," Teana said for her. "I came to pick her up for lunch and got talked into it."

"Oh, so you're not going out to lunch with Fate-chan then?"

Teana shook her head and held a confused expression. "No? She didn't call me or anything. Why do you ask?"

Subaru grinned at the two of them. "Fate's going out with my sister today, actually. I asked Ginga if she wanted to go to lunch and she told me she already has a date with her."

"A-Are you sure about that?" Teana asked as she eyed Nanoha nervously in her peripheral vision. She noticed irate sapphire eyes narrowed directly at Subaru.

"Of course! My sister has been interested in Fate for such a long time now. It looks like she is finally getting her chance, huh?"

Teana pinched her hard on the arm. "Ugh! Just shut the hell up, Subaru. Seriously."

"Ow! What? What did I say?"

Nanoha turned around and stormed off without saying goodbye to the two. Familiar feelings of jealousy that were present yesterday surfaced again, this time even more intense that yesterday. She rounded the first corner into the hallway in a daze. She decided the best thing she could do was camp out in her office and figure out just how to deal with the news.

She turned the second corner and ran directly into someone else in her haste. The person grunted slightly and a few papers scattered to the floor. Nanoha immediately knelt down to pick them up for them.

"Wow! It's funny I ran into you, Nanoha. You were the person I was just coming to see," the familiar voice said from above.

Nanoha looked up and smiled weakly. "Hey, Shamal. Sorry about all that. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going."

As Nanoha rose with the collected papers in hand, Shamal's smile turned into a slight frown. "I wanted to see how you were feeling today. You look better, but you seem to be really stressed again."

"I am, I guess. I just found out something I didn't really want to know."

Shamal put a comforting arm around Nanoha's shoulders and started guided them in a different direction down the hallway. "I tell you what - - I was going to lunch in the cafeteria after this anyway. Why don't you join me and you can tell me what's bothering you?"

Nanoha allowed herself to be led to the elevators at the end of the floor. "I thought you didn't want to pry into my personal life?"

"That's true. Well, I can always just get Hayate up here instead if you'd like?" Shamal pulled up her transmitter screen and started searching for Hayate's profile. Nanoha's hand was quick to press the exit button from over her shoulder.

"God, no! Anyone but Hayate right now. She's the one who started all this yesterday anyway."

"I'm not surprised," Shamal replied as they entered into the empty elevator cab that had arrived for them. "Although she didn't tell me what she did this time."

The two waited until they were seated with their lunch trays at one of the cafeteria tables before broaching the subject again. The food hall was nearly empty at that time, giving them a chance to have the discussion in relative privacy.

"So...?" Shamal began.

Nanoha sighed heavily and picked at her salad with her fork. The last thing she felt like doing was eating at the moment. "I'm just letting my emotions get the better of me. I know I shouldn't be upset with it but I still am."

"And what are you upset about?"

"I just found out that Fate-chan is going on a date with someone else today."

Shamal sat back in her chair and smiled a little. "Did Fate tell you she was doing that?"

"No, someone else just told me."

"I see... So, tell me what part Hayate played in all of this?"

"Well, she was the one who pointed out to me that Fate-chan could sleep with someone else if she wanted to. I doubt I would be so worried about it now if she hadn't pushed it like she did."

"That certainly was pretty sneaky of her," Shamal replied thoughtfully. "Although, to tell you the truth, I can kind of see why she did what she did it."

"So, you're defending her? Even though it's making me stressed again?"

"Well, it depends. Right now you are dealing with a lot of emotions you've never experienced before. One of them being jealousy, right?"

"Yes," Nanoha admitted quietly. "And I hate the way it makes me feel."

"The thing about Hayate is, she's always been good at spotting people's tendencies. And she probably saw a potential issue like this for you in the future, no matter what type of arrangement you and Fate have going on."

"So, am I supposed to just pretend like it doesn't bother me that Fate-chan is on a date right now? Believe me, I would if I could."

Shamal reached across the table to gently hold Nanoha's hand, hoping she wouldn't take her next words the wrong way. "Here's the thing about jealousy, Nanoha. In the end, it's all about fear and control. You have a comfortable life with Fate and you don't want to lose it to someone else. But if you always respond in anger when you feel scared like that, it might end up pushing her away instead."

"Pushing her away?"

"Yes. If she feels like she has to constantly worry about how you're going to react to what she does, it's going to get tiresome really fast. Or she may feel negatively if she thinks you're trying to keep her from her friends because of your own insecurities."

Nanoha paused as she recounted her conversation with Fate the previous evening in the bedroom. Fate had tried to assure her that she wasn't interested in sleeping with anyone else, even if she had every right to. She had accepted those words last night and promised she wouldn't be jealous of their friends in return. The last thing she wanted to do was push her away by going back on that promise now, all because she felt a little threatened by Ginga.

"You're right," Nanoha eventually said. "I'm not being fair to her at all. She's never done anything before to make me not trust her. I'm just making assumptions without even giving her a chance. "

Shamal gave Nanoha's hand one last pat before taking it back so that she could begin eating. "That's great, Nanoha. You already looked less stressed. That's really good because there's no way I could send you home again. Vita would kill me."

"It's okay, I don't need to go home." Nanoha smiled and picked up her fork again, now feeling her appetite returning. "I think I can handle things a bit better now."

**oOOOo**

Fate exited the cab in front of the restaurant and found Ginga already waiting for her outside. She handed the driver the fare money plus a tip. The cabbie looked out the window at Ginga and winked at her playfully. Fate groaned in response and opened the car door. The nosy woman had been teasing her the entire ride about the hickey Nanoha had left on her neck that morning. It was making Fate feel increasingly nervous now that she was about to meet up with Ginga for lunch.

She had tried to cover it up after noticing it in the vanity mirror earlier, but she soon found that makeup only made it stand out more. After a half hour struggle, she decided to remove the cover up all together and just deal with the repercussions. She had considered canceling her lunch with Ginga all together but decided that wouldn't be fair, either. Not over something like that.

"Fate! Hey, it's good to see you!" Ginga said as she approached her outside of the taxi. Fate observed her smile fall slightly as she noticed the mark on her neck. She would usually tackle her in a hug to greet her. This time she seemed to be keeping her distance.

"It's good to see you too, Ginga. Are you hungry?"

"Um-hmm, I'm starving." Ginga looked towards the entrance of the restaurant she had picked for them. She had chosen the place specifically for the margaritas there, as well as the incredible food. Fate held the door open for her and Ginga requested of the hostess to seat them at the bar first.

As they waited for the bartender, Ginga nudged her on the arm playfully. "So if I buy you a drink, will you let me in on your dirty little secret?"

"Hmmm... What if I decide not to drink today?"

"Then we can just pretend like I don't see that huge hickey on your neck." She held out her hand for her to shake. Fate laughed and accepted the deal.

"Two frozen margaritas with salt and two shots of tequila, please," Ginga requested.

Fate flinched slightly as the bartender started filling the order. "Wow, a drink and a shot? I'm glad I didn't drive here."

"Yep. I figure this has to be pretty good, so I'll make it worth your while."

The two soon had the tequila in hand and where clinging their shot glasses together in cheers. Fate nearly gagged on hers as it went down and took a sip of the margarita to combat it. Ginga also looked like the shot had been almost painful for her on its way through her chest.

"Maybe we're getting too old for this?" Fate muttered and took another sip of the frozen drink.

"What, for drinking? We're 22 years old! We just barely got started."

Fate waited a few moments to let the shot take some effect. "So, what would you like to know?" she eventually asked.

"You don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to. I'm just asking you because I want you to be happy. And because I'm incredibly nosy."

"That's fair enough."

"Is it Nanoha?"

"Yes, it's Nanoha."

Ginga smiled gently. "It's really not a surprise it's her, you know? But I thought she wasn't interested in dating anyone?"

"Well, we aren't in a relationship or anything. It is supposed to be without any strings attached, that sort of thing."

"Hmmm... so you guys _could_ date other people if you wanted to? Is that the arrangement?"

"Technically, yes." Fate and Ginga both paused to drink a decent amount of their margaritas. Ginga requested a refill of hers and Fate did the same.

"I've been in that type of relationship before. A few times, actually," Ginga said.

"How did it work out for you?"

"Well, it didn't. Not saying that yours with Nanoha won't be fine, of course. But I know I could never do anything like that again. Nor would I want to be involved with someone else that was in that type of situation."

"I see..." Fate replied slowly, fully realizing that the last statement was directed at her. She nodded and felt a bit of relief that she wouldn't be the one making the decision in the situation after all. "So, why didn't the casual thing work out for you?" she then asked.

"It always stops working when one or both of the people fall in love with each other. Then tough choices have to be made. It was no different in my case."

"Well, it's possible that falling in love doesn't become a factor, right?"

Ginga laughed a little. "Sure, that's always possible."

"Nanoha seems pretty set that she won't be falling in love with me."

"And you're okay with that?"

Fate shrugged. "It makes it simple for me to avoid doing it myself, I guess."

"I doubt anything is ever that simple in that kind of situation, even when it's supposed to be. I think that's why I'm choosing the opposite way for myself from now on. I'm ready for my white picket fence with someone who knows they want to be with me and only me. I want to have the real deal."

"So you're just waiting to find the right one?"

"No, I'm pretty sure I've found the right one." Ginga shook her head slightly and took another long drink as she became lost in her own thoughts. She eventually sighed quietly to herself. "No, I just think it's going to take a little bit longer for her to realize she wants the same thing. I don't mind waiting, though. She's worth it."

The bartender interrupted their conversation with their fresh drinks before Fate could ask who she was waiting for exactly. He then asked if they wanted any food and they both choose an appetizer for the time being. Fate suddenly remembered something that she had been curious about since the previous day.

"Can I ask you a question? It's along the same lines as this," she asked once the bartender had left again.

"Sure."

"Do you know what happened between Teana and Subaru exactly? Teana told me yesterday that they had a similar arrangement but it didn't work out."

Ginga grimaced. "You mean that absolute disaster about a year ago? That was pretty horrible for both of them for a while."

"Yeah, that. She said it almost ruined their friendship."

"Yep. They were sleeping together but never actually got into a relationship. Subaru took what they were doing a lot more serious than Teana did. And when Teana slept with someone else and my sister found out, it got pretty ugly."

"Oh..." Fate replied quietly. "I could see why that would hurt her."

"To top it off, it was with a guy. Vice, as a matter of fact. He was the pilot from the JS Incident. Remember him?"

Fate nodded. "Yes, of course."

"That was a pretty big lesson for all of us. I know I would never want to be Vice in a situation like that, let alone Teana or my sister."

"I can see now why you are waiting for a committed relationship."

"Um-hmm. Security sounds pretty good at this point. But you know what? We should probably forget all this relationship talk and just relax and enjoy lunch. Are you up for another shot?"

Fate smiled and waved the bartender over. "Sounds good. But I'm picking out the drink this time. No more tequila for me."

**oOOOo**

The house was dark when Nanoha and Vivio arrived home from work and school that evening. Nanoha was surprised to see that Fate wasn't home yet from her day spent with Ginga. She had to take a few deep breaths to calm her thoughts about the situation.

"Vivio, how about you go change and do your homework before dinner?"

Vivio stuck out her bottom lip. "Where's Fate-mama? I thought she would be here when we got home."

"I'm sure she'll be home soon, sweetie. But I'll call her if it gets too late."

"Okay, Mama." Nanoha watched Vivio make her way to her bedroom with her backpack swaying from side to side behind her. She hated to see their daughter disappointed like that, but she was again putting her trust in Fate that she had a valid reason for being late. She decided to wait on the couch until Fate got home.

Ten minutes after tuning the television to cartoons that she wasn't really paying attention to, Nanoha heard the front door open and then close quietly. Fate at first checked the kitchen and then walked into the living room.

"Hey," Nanoha greeted.

"Hi. Sorry I'm late. It took a while for the cab to come pick me up. I really wanted to get home before you guys got here."

"It's okay, Fate-chan. I understand. How was your day today?" Nanoha muted the television as Fate came to sit beside her on the couch.

Fate took a deep breath to gather her courage, knowing that she might be treading on thin ice with the next admission. She also didn't feel there was a need to hide who she had been with all day. "It was good. I had lunch with Ginga today. We went and watched a movie together afterward."

Nanoha paused momentarily and looked away to the floor. She then shook her head to regain her composure and returned to face Fate again. "And how is Ginga doing?"

"Um, really good, actually. We had fun today. She knows about us, by the way."

"You told her?" Nanoha asked in surprise.

Fate could feel her cheeks growing hot. "You left a mark on my neck this morning. It wasn't hard for her to figure out where it came from."

"Oh..." she replied and then looked at where Fate was pointing. Sure enough, even in the dimly lit living room Nanoha could see a clear hickey on her skin. She started to feel slightly embarrassed herself now. She didn't think she would ever be that type of person to do that to someone else, although she also knew it had been completely unintentional this morning.

"Well, she was pretty supportive," Fate continued. "In the end, I think she just wants me to be happy."

"She didn't try to be affectionate with you or anything this time?"

Fate laughed. "Not at all. I don't think she isn't interested in me like that anymore."

Nanoha turned to face Fate completely on the couch. "And how do you feel about that?"

"It's fine. It means I don't have to worry about telling her no or anything. Besides, she has someone she is waiting for, apparently. She thinks it's just a matter of time until they realize they want to be with her, too."

"That's good, I guess." Nanoha wanted to respond by holding Fate's hand or patting her on the leg in support but instead found herself motionless. A mixture of relief tinged with sadness soon washed over her. She was relieved that Fate had gone into her meeting with Ginga without thoughts of pursuing anything romantic with her. The sadness stemmed from the fact that she had placed doubt in Fate's intentions in the first place.

Fate moved closer on the couch once she saw Nanoha's expression become clouded to the point she thought she was going to cry. She placed her hand on her arm in an attempt to comfort her. "What's wrong, Nanoha? Are you okay?"

Nanoha nodded her head a few times and then resigned herself that she wasn't. She buried her head in Fate's chest and wrapped her arms tightly around her waist.

Fate held her close in return. "You know, if it really bothers you this much when I hang out with her, I can stop."

"No," she replied through a few tears. "That's not why I'm upset. It's because I'm a jerk for making you feel like you couldn't hang out with her in the first place."

"Hey, it's okay." Fate rested her chin on Nanoha's head as she continued to hold her. "No one says we are going to be perfect at this in the beginning. But we'll get it."

Gentle hands made their way up Fate's back and then across her shoulders. Nanoha let them rest just above her chest as she pulled back to look at her. She then had to smile when she noticed a distinct smell. "Have you been drinking, Fate-chan?" she asked playfully.

"I had a few at lunch. I didn't go overboard this time, though."

"Good, because I know how you get when you're drunk."

"I'm only like that around you, Nanoha."

Nanoha met the ruby eyes that seemed to have a hint of a challenge in them. "Maybe I'll just have to take advantage of that then?" she replied quietly.

Fate searched her eyes in return and wasted no time worrying about winning or losing the test between them, or any rules they might be breaking. She just wanted to kiss her in that moment. She cradled her face and gently found Nanoha's lips with her own. It was a soft yet comforting expression, one meant to prove that she wanted to share moments like this with her and only her.

She gasped when Fate pulled away briefly but she soon returned to capture her lips again. Nanoha made no motions to stop her and instead welcomed the captivating embrace. She thought that this kiss seemed different than the others between them before, but ultimately decided it felt too good to be wrong. She let it linger between them until she was left feeling achy and breathless in Fate's arms.

Neither knew how much time passed from when they had started. They only stopped once they heard a noise come from Vivio's room. Nanoha leaned her forehead against Fate's and continued to feel her presence still so close to her.

"That was different," she whispered.

"It was."

"I liked it. Can you kiss me like that again?"

Fate's mouth moved to be just in front of hers. "Yes... but later. If I do it anymore now, I won't be able to stop."

The comment helped bring Nanoha's world back into focus. Her eyes scanned Fate's first and then journeyed across the room towards Vivio's closed bedroom door. "Oh, right. We shouldn't be doing that here, should we?"

"No, not at all." Fate reluctantly rose from the couch and helped Nanoha up by the hand. "I'll go say hi to Vivio. What should we do about dinner?"

"I don't really feel like cooking tonight. I'll just order something if you're okay with it?"

"Yep, fine by me." Fate smiled when she felt Nanoha's hand squeeze hers. The two shared a lingering look before they crossed paths to attend to their separate tasks for the time being.

Nanoha heard Vivio's door suddenly burst open while she called one of the local restaurants that delivered in their area. "Argh, it's the tickle monster!" she then heard Fate yell, followed immediately by a screech from their daughter. She had to put her hand over her free ear to be able to hear the hostess on the other endof the phone taking her order.

Fate was carrying Vivio over her shoulder when Nanoha reentered the living room at the same time they did. She watched the two plop down heavily on the couch before Vivio crawled into her lap. Fate reached for the remote for the television but stopped when she heard Vivio suddenly giggling at her.

"What? What are you giggling about?" Fate finally asked.

"Um... I saw you kissing Mama on the couch."

Fate's eyes immediately flew across the room in a panic. Nanoha let her cellphone fall from her hand and crash to the tile floor. The phone battery came bursting out of the case, leaving the phone in pieces at her feet.

"Um, well..." Fate tried to start.

"We were practicing, Vivio," Nanoha said quickly. "Something you shouldn't do until you are much older. Now, please go wash up for dinner."

Vivio giggled one more time and then ran out of the room towards the spare bathroom. Fate sunk her head in her hands and Nanoha sighed loudly as well.

"New 'no-kissing-on-the-couch' rule?" Fate asked in a muffled voice.

"Yes, that is definitely a new rule."

* * *

**A/N:** See you soon! ~Nissanity~


	7. Chapter 7 - Falling into Place

**A/N:** My apologies for the delay in getting this update out! Work was really hectic for me this past week and I haven't had a chance to write anything until my days off. This is a Nanoha-focused chapter, one I felt necessary to explain where her reservations about love and relationships stem from. Fate's issues will be explored in an upcoming chapter as well.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters from or the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha anime, nor any other movie, actor, song, or character referenced or stated in this story.

* * *

**FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS**

by : ~Nissanity~

**Chapter 7 – ****_Falling into Place_**

* * *

_~Day 5~_

It was the rain that started her day. The first sounds Nanoha heard in her half-awake state were heavy drops against the metal rooftop. Usually the sun would have made its appearance by that time, but with the sky as overcast as it was, it still looked to be nighttime outside of her bedroom window.

The rumble of thunder followed soon after a flash of lightening. Nanoha looked to the other side of the bed when she felt Fate stirring at the noise.

"Fate-chan?"

"Hmmm?"

"You should sleep in this morning. There isn't much you can do with it raining like this today."

Nanoha's bedmate turned to face her as well but did not open her eyes. "Are you sure?"

"Um-hmm. Enjoy your day off."

"Okay," Fate replied quietly. Her deep breathing could be heard seconds later, indicating she had already fallen back asleep.

Nanoha exited the bedroom and made her way to the kitchen. She was sure to be quiet as she passed by Vivio's bedroom door in the hallway. It was still at least thirty minutes before she needed to wake her daughter up for the day.

Raising Heart beeped against Nanoha's chest as she entered into the kitchen. "You have an incoming transmission, Master."

The ruby orb flashed moments later to indicate that she had received the message. Nanoha knew there was only one person who would be sending her something that earlier in the morning. She pulled up her transmitter and opened the newest video message from her mother on the screen. She seemed to be in lively spirits, with her smile brighter than Nanoha had ever seen.

"_Great news, Nanoha! Your sister just got engaged! There is no set date for the wedding, but they've already decided to have Midorya make the wedding cake for the reception. Isn't that wonderful?!_"

Nanoha had to laugh a little at her mother's excitement. She loved planning and being a part of huge events, especially if it involved one of her children. Her mother then shifted in her chair after the announcement and her smile fell quite a bit. Nanoha watched her demeanor change and knew exactly what was coming next.

"_So, Nanoha... I suppose that just leaves you then, right? I know you've told me so many times that you aren't interested in getting married, but I really think you shouldn't give up on the idea just yet. Find a nice guy and settle down someday! You would make such a wonderful wife for some lucky man out there. Life is so much more fulfilling when you have someone to share it with. And he will take care of you and Vivio, too. You know, I talked to Yuuno the other day -_"

"End transmission, please." Her mother's face immediately disappeared from in front of her, leaving only her words to echo in her ears. It wasn't the first time her mother brought up the marriage issue. In fact, there hadn't been a conversation or a video correspondence in years where her mother didn't bring up the subject at least once.

Her mother began pushing her to find a man to marry soon after the JS Incident ended. It almost started as a joke about Vivio needing a brother and sister, but the conversations progressively turned more serious as time went on. Now it seemed to be all her mother discussed when they spoke, putting her in the awkward position of constantly defending her stance that she didn't need to be married to be happy.

Thoughts of the marriage her mother envisioned for her crept into Nanoha's mind and it caused her to physically cringe at the notion. She tried to picture coming home to a man night after night but found she couldn't bring herself to do it. It was as if her mind created an invisible barrier that wouldn't even allow the idea in. And the thought of being in bed with a male was beyond approach.

"And she wonders why I don't want to get married," she muttered. She turned on the coffee pot and pushed it away from her on the counter in frustration.

"Mama...?"

Nanoha turned to find Vivio standing in the kitchen doorway. She was rubbing her sleepy eyes in her pajamas with her stuffed bunny hanging from her hand. "Good morning, Vivio. Did the storm wake you up?"

The little girl nodded a few times and then yawned loudly. Nanoha crossed the kitchen to turn her back towards the hallway. "Okay. Start getting ready for school and I'll make you some breakfast. Make sure you stay really quiet this morning, though. Your Fate-mama is sleeping in today."

**oOOOo**

The heavy rain began to lessen about mid-morning, just as the forecast had predicted it would. Nanoha looked out her office window at the drops coming down in a trickle now. The training for the recruits had been delayed for two hours, meaning she and the rest of the staff were guaranteed to have to stay at least three hours later than usual to ensure the schedule stayed on course. She debated the feasibility of the plan and checked the forecast again.

A light knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. "Come in!" she yelled over her shoulder.

"_Helloooooo!_" a familiar voice sang out. Nanoha sighed and reminded herself she needed to ask who it was first before inviting anyone in unannounced.

"Good morning, Hayate. How are you doing today?"

"Oh, I'm good! I just came to see what you were doing about training now that the rain is finally letting up."

Nanoha eyed her warily as she came to stand in front of the window as well. "Really? You came to ask me about work and not my love life?"

Hayate pretended to be hurt. "Nanoha, I'm a professional! I can actually focus on this sort of thing when I have to."

"Um-hmm. Well, if we start now it only puts us three hours over schedule for staff today. We can do it."

"You could always have a makeup day this weekend instead?"

Nanoha shook her head. "No, Lindy and Arf are coming to visit starting tomorrow. I need to be home this weekend."

"What about Vivio? Don't you usually pick her up from practice after work?"

"I can ask Fate-chan to do it. She said she didn't have any plans today." Nanoha pulled up Raising Heart's transmitter screen and searched for Bardiche. She glanced over at Hayate skeptically while she summoned the other device.

"Oh, don't mind me. I'll just wait here while you call her," Hayate assured her.

Nanoha grumbled something unintelligible while she waited to be connected. Fate's smiling face soon filled her screen. "Hey, Nanoha. What's going on?"

"Fate-chan, I have to work a late tonight. Do you mind picking up Vivio from practice and making dinner? I'm sorry about this. The rain has been an issue all day here."

"Sure, no problem. I wasn't doing much anyway. I was just working on the air mattress now." Fate moved away so that Nanoha could see behind her. There were pieces of an air pump scattered around the room. The flattened mattress sat in the middle of the floor.

"You can always wait until I get home if you need help with it?" she asked as she eyed all the parts.

Fate returned to face her with her cheeks puffed out slightly. "I can do it, Nanoha."

Before Nanoha could speak again, Hayate stuck her head over the screen to interrupt the conversation. "Hello, Fate!" she shouted and waved eagerly. Fate recoiled at the unexpected sight of Hayate upside-down on her screen.

"H-Hey, Hayate. I didn't realize you were there, too."

"Yep! So since you're already picking up Vivio and making dinner, do you mind if we take Nanoha out with us after work tonight? Some of us are wanting to do a girls night out."

"Hayate?! What the hell!" Nanoha yelled.

The brunette came to stand in front of the screen and threw her arm around Nanoha's shoulder. "You don't mind, do you Fate?"

"No, it's fine. Nanoha should go out and have some fun if she wants to."

Nanoha tried to get out of Hayate's grasp. "Are you sure, Fate-chan? You're okay with watching Vivio?"

"Um-hmm. You should spend some time with your friends tonight. I'll come pick up your car from headquarters in a little bit."

"Alright. Well, I'll call you - "

"Bye, Fate!" Hayate interrupted again and pressed the exit button before Nanoha could finish her sentence. She immediately started walking backwards towards the office door to escape her impending wrath.

"Why did you do that, Hayate?!" Nanoha shouted as she followed her across the room. "You didn't even ask me first!"

"Would you have even considered going if I had?"

"Of course not! I don't get to go out like you and everyone else. I have a child to worry about now."

"And Fate can take care of her for just one night." Hayate's back finally found the office door and she reached for the doorknob with her hand. "You have to have a social life too, Nanoha. Just like Fate does."

Nanoha stopped to recount how many times Fate had been out with her friends since she had been home from her latest mission. She came up with three total, if she included her day with Teana involving the bed frame. She then tried to remember the last time she had been out with her friends in recent memory. Nothing at all came to mind.

Hayate grinned when she notice Nanoha silently resigning herself to the idea. She opened the door behind her to let herself out. "Great! We will meet you down in the lobby at eight tonight. I think you'll really like the bar we're going to. It's not far from here."

"Okay, but I can't guarantee I'll have fun!" Nanoha said as Hayate shut the office door in her face.

**oOOOo**

Nervous eyes shifted to the large clock above the main lobby of TSAB headquarters. Nanoha fidgeted and paced while she waited for the rest of her party to arrive. It was one minute before eight and she could feel her heart sink into her chest as she thought about the night to come.

She recalled the few times she had ever gone to a bar in a her life, all miserable experiences from what she remembered. Countless men approaching her table to hit on her when she was just there to enjoy conversation with her friends and coworkers. Then there were their eyes summing her up all around the room and sending drinks her way. Drinks she had to politely decline, or else she would have been completely intoxicated around strange men she had no intention of ever speaking to.

The clock above her finally read 8:01pm. Nanoha turned and made a path for the front exit so she could hail a cab, figuring she had fulfilled her side of the bargain. If Hayate couldn't be on time, she wasn't obligated to stay any longer and wait for her.

"And where do you think you're going?!" someone yelled behind her. Nanoha spun around and found Hayate crossing the lobby with Shamal and Signum in tow.

"I was just going to get some fresh air," she lied. She stepped away from the automatic doors to let them shut behind her.

Hayate put her arm around her shoulder just as she had done earlier and escorted her outside. "You were trying to leave and that just won't work. Not until you give this place a chance."

Nanoha soon realized that Shamal and Signum were walking behind them very closely, probably ensuring she wouldn't try to find a way out of the situation.

"There is no escape," Shamal teased her as if she had read her mind.

"I'm sorry. I'm just not really into the bar scene. I don't like men hitting on me and that seems the whole point of places like that."

"That shouldn't be a problem tonight." Hayate gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder as her driver pulled their car up in front of headquarters. Shamal entered in the backseat first and pulled Nanoha in to sit in the middle. Hayate got in behind her while Signum climbed into the front passenger seat.

The driver pulled away from the curb and started the journey out of the large parking lot. Nanoha tried to gauge where they were going as they turned onto one of the busy main streets. She was unable to recall any bars in the direction they were headed in as she looked out the front windshield.

"We're here," the driver announced after the short trip a few blocks away. He stopped the car in the front of their destination and Nanoha looked out Shamal's side window. She found she didn't recognize the place at all.

"_Velvet?_" she read out loud. The name of the bar flickered on a large pink and black neon sign hanging above the front entrance. The small building was windowless and painted completely black, giving no indication from the street of what it was like inside.

Shamal opened her door first and Nanoha felt herself being pushed out of the car. Hayate exited behind her, even though she had her own door she could have gone through. Nanoha kept her distance from her so that she couldn't wrap her arm around her shoulders again. Shamal surprised her by nabbing her instead.

"Shamal, what are you doing?!" Nanoha asked.

"Hayate can't have all the fun. Come on, let's go inside."

Signum held the door open and Nanoha allowed herself to be led inside the entrance of the unfamiliar establishment. Muffled house music could be heard from the other side of the second set of black double doors. They led directly into a large room that had a bar on one side and a second floor balcony crowded with people above them. The room was filled with a sea of female faces and TSAB uniforms. Women were packed around the bar and on the dance floor.

All eyes in the bar seemed to focus on their group as they walked in, with a few people waving and saying hello as they entered further inside. Nanoha looked around in a state of complete confusion until she found two women in the corner sharing an intimate moment together.

"Is this...?" she began.

"Yep!" Shamal confirmed. "Velvet is one of the city's all-girl bars. You would be surprised at who all comes here, actually."

"So what are we doing here?"

"What are we doing here?!" Hayate repeated. "This is like a second home to some of our friends! Look over there in fact." Nanoha followed where Hayate was pointing and discovered Subaru sitting at one of the tables with a few of the Scaglietti girls. The younger woman noticed their group nearing her table and her face lit up.

"Wow, you really got her to come here?!" she exclaimed and stood up from her chair. She beamed and offered Nanoha the stool next to her.

"Here, you guys can have our seats," Nove offered as the rest of the Scaglietti girls stood up from the table. "We were just about to get some drinks and head out to the dance floor."

"Alright, have fun!" Subaru told them.

Shamal plopped Nanoha down on the stool next to Subaru and sat down beside her. Signum and Hayate both took up the recently vacated chairs across from them. A waitress soon approached their table with five drinks on her tray, all looking to be martinis with two olives.

She gave Hayate a lingering kiss on the cheek first, leaving Nanoha completely floored at the sight. "Hey, baby! I brought your favorite drink for you and your friends. Is that alright?" the waitress asked in a very flirty voice.

Hayate gave a sly smile back. "Of course it is. That's why you're my favorite waitress."

"And that's why you're my favorite customer," she replied and playfully touched her on the nose. She started passing around the drinks while Nanoha continued to stare at her friend in disbelief.

"Hayate gets a lot of attention here," Subaru informed her.

"No kidding. I feel like I just entered another dimension or something."

Subaru shrugged. "I think women think power is sexy or something."

Two arms suddenly came from behind and tackled Subaru and Nanoha both around the shoulders. "You must be talking about Ms. Playgirl over there," the person said.

Nanoha looked over her shoulder and was completely shocked at who she found now hanging on her. "Ginga...?" she said just above a whisper.

"Hey, Nanoha. It's good to see you here," she said with a smile. She then pulled away and greeted everyone else across the table.

Subaru jumped off her stool and gave her sister a huge hug. "Hey! I'm so glad you could make it!"

"Of course I did! I don't get too many chances to come here. And there's no way I would miss it if you were going to be here tonight."

"We can find you a place to sit?" Subaru suggested and started looking around for an empty stool.

Ginga waved her hand to decline and turned her eyes to the balcony. "Maybe in a little bit. I have a few friends up there I want to say hi to first. If that's okay with you, that is?"

"Sure! We'll be here for a while."

"Okay. See you guys!" Ginga left the table just as quick as she had arrived. She first made a stop at the bar before heading upstairs to the balcony to meet her friends.

Subaru sat back down on her stool, now looking more elated than before. "I'm glad she came tonight. And you too, Nanoha. I wanted to apologize for what happened yesterday."

"What happened yesterday?" Nanoha asked in confusion.

"You know, when I thought Fate was on a date with my sister. If I had known...?"

Nanoha shook her head. "It's okay, Subaru. There was no way you could have known. Besides, Fate could date Ginga if she really wanted to. I didn't have a right to act the way I did."

"But still, no one wants to hear stuff like that." Subaru paused and took a deep breath, as if summoning her courage with the next statement. "Did Fate tell you what happened between me and Tea last year?"

"She told me a little - "

"Excuse me, can I buy you a drink?" Nanoha and Subaru turned around to find a woman in a TSAB uniform suddenly hovering behind them. She was smiling directly at Nanoha.

"Um..." Nanoha turned her attention to the untouched martini still in front of her. "Actually, I doubt I'll even drink that, but thank you for the offer," she politely declined.

"Oh, okay. Well, if you change your mind, find me. The offer stands all night." The woman waved once to her and walked away. Nanoha let out the breath she didn't realize she had been holding.

"Sorry about that, Nanoha," Subaru said. "It's still a bar, and you're new here."

"It's okay. I don't mind it, I guess. If that had been a guy, that would have been a whole other story."

"I was actually going to ask you about that. See, with Tea and me - "

"I'm sorry to bother you, but would you like to dance?" Nanoha smiled politely over her shoulder again at the new woman standing behind her. Subaru unexpectedly reached for Nanoha's hand on the table and entwined their fingers.

"She can't. She's already promised the next dance to me." The woman bowed her head graciously and turned to leave. Subaru tried to take her hand away after she left, but Nanoha grasped it tightly and wouldn't let go.

"This is easier. That way we can actually have a conversation."

"Good idea. Like I was saying, I don't want to get too much into my thing with Tea. It still hurts to talk about, honestly. But I don't want you and Fate to end up in the same situation we did."

"So you want to give me advice?"

Subaru nodded and took a long sip of her drink first. "Um-hmm, I do. So first, I know Fate only likes women. Her and Ginga have talked about it a lot when they were on missions together. And when I was doing whatever with Tea, I thought she just liked women too. So when I found out she slept with Vice, it really hurt. A lot more than you can imagine."

"I see..." Nanoha decided to take a few sips of her drink as well before proceeding in the conversation. She suddenly felt a little vulnerable with where it was headed. "Are you suggesting that I not sleep with men, Subaru?" she ventured.

"I'm just saying, if you think it's what you want to do, then you probably want to tell Fate now. Even if it isn't serious between you guys, if she finds out like I did with Tea, it will probably hurt her a lot."

"And what if I have no desire to be with them at all?"

Subaru raised her eyebrows. "You only want to sleep with women? I thought you were interested in both genders for some reason."

"Um..." Nanoha paused as she remembered the way she felt that morning when her mother brought up marriage to a man for the countless time. The thought of being with a male caused her to flinch in a negative reaction even now. She then recalled being in Fate's arms recently and how it seemed so warm and inviting to her. It just felt right. She tried to picture herself with a different woman next, and even though no one came to mind specifically, there was no unpleasant thoughts about that idea either.

"I think the answer is yes. I only want to sleep with women," she finally concluded.

"Oh!" Subaru put her free hand up apologetically. "Then I was worried for nothing. I'm sorry I brought it up at all."

"No, it's okay," she replied distractedly, now starting to be consumed with her own thoughts. Questions of why she didn't realize it sooner about herself flooded her mind as she tried to grasp the concept completely.

"Hey, Nanoha?" Subaru squeezed her hand gently after seeing her face become clouded with angst. "You don't have to make it a big deal about it, you know? It's just another part of who you are."

"Sorry, Subaru. It's something I had never fully considered before now. I guess I don't really know myself as well as I thought I did."

"People don't always realize it right away. It doesn't mean you did anything wrong. Maybe you just weren't in the right situation to explore it before now?"

"Maybe not," Nanoha hummed. "I really want to talk to Fate-chan about this, though. I feel like she should know."

Subaru shook her head almost bitterly. "It sounds like you guys are really open with each other. I wish Tea had talked to me before everything went bad. Things might have turned out differently between us."

"Yes, Fate-chan and I have always told each other everything, good or bad. Where is Teana tonight, by the way?"

"Well, this isn't really her type of place. She says she would rather be at home watching a movie or reading a book."

Nanoha looked around the crowded bar. "I can see that, actually. I'm glad I came here tonight, but I'm pretty sure I'm that type of person, too."

"And there is nothing wrong with that, either." Subaru smiled and stood up from her stool. She started pulling Nanoha by the hand away from the table. "I think you still owe me a dance before you have to get back home, though!"

"Okay!" Nanoha shouted back over the increasingly loud music as they approached the dance floor.

The rest of the table watched Nanoha get dragged away across the club. "It looks like she is loosening up a little bit," Shamal mentioned affectionately.

"Um-hmm," Signum replied. She then tapped Hayate on the shoulder and pointed above them. "But how does that play into your plan, Hayate? She's being doing that for a while now."

Hayate and Shamal turned their attention to the balcony where Signum was indicating. They found Ginga leaning against the rail and continuously taking pictures of Nanoha and Subaru together on the dance floor. Even though everyone else had been privy to their conversation and knew it was just friendly interactions between the two, someone not present at the bar could easily misconstrue the pictures if they happened to see them.

"She started doing that when they were holding hands at the table," Signum added.

"Shit..." Hayate muttered.

"How is Fate going to react when Ginga sends her those pictures?" Shamal asked in slight panic. "You know that's what she going to do. Look, she's probably sending them to her right now!"

A smug smile crossed Ginga's lips as she pulled away from the balcony rail. She pressed a few buttons on the screen and quickly entered in some text. After several seconds, she giggled and placed the phone back into her pocket. She then turned her attention back to her friends and reentered the crowd on the balcony.

Hayate pounded her fist on the table. "Oh, that sneaky little - "

"That was fun!" Nanoha exclaimed as she and Subaru returned to the table. They were both breathless and grinning as they took their seats again.

Hayate suddenly stretched her arms above her head dramatically. "Oh, it feels so late! I'm sure Nanoha is ready to turn in. What do you guys think?"

Shamal and Signum both nodded their heads earnestly. "Oh yes. Absolutely," they said in agreement.

Nanoha looked at her watch and frowned slightly. "But it's only nine-thirty?"

"Whoa, that late already!" Hayate exclaimed. "We really should get you home as soon as possible."

Subaru laughed at their perplexing antics and stood up from her stool. Nanoha did the same but held a confused expression. "Well, I guess it would be nice to see Fate-chan? I haven't talked to her all day."

"Sounds like a good plan!" Shamal said. She grabbed Nanoha's purse from the table for her and started shooing her away towards the exit.

Hayate stopped to speak with her favorite waitress briefly before escorting Nanoha outside as well. Signum called the driver to come pick her up at the front of the bar.

"Seriously, did something happen I need to know about?" Nanoha asked as they all stood anxiously on the sidewalk. Their suspicious actions screamed that she should be concerned.

"It's probably nothing," Hayate tried to assure her as the driver pulled the car up to the curb. She started guiding her to it and opened the front passenger door for her.

Nanoha spun around to face her directly before getting in. "I don't know what's going on exactly, but if Fate-chan ends up getting hurt for some reason... I'm not going to be happy with you," she warned.

Hayate took a silent step back after seeing the gravely serious expression on Nanoha's face. She wordlessly indicated through the windshield that it was alright for the driver to leave once Nanoha was inside.

As soon as Nanoha had buckled up, the car pulled away from the curb. "She is such a pain in the ass sometimes," she grumbled and crossed her arms over her chest in a huff.

The driver glanced over at her and smiled. "You have no idea," he laughed.

**oOOOo**

"Thank you very much for the ride!" Nanoha told the driver before shutting the door.

As she turned her attention to her darkened house from the sidewalk, she found that the porch light had been left on for her. She searched the bottom of her purse for her keys as she walked and didn't noticed the vehicle parked in front of the house next door. Not until the driver opened their door and then slammed it shut behind them, that is.

"Teana? Is that you?" Nanoha asked as she squinted at the approaching figure.

"Did you have fun tonight, Nanoha?" Teana said with a angry tone. Nanoha noticed her eyes were red and swollen like she had been crying.

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

Teana grabbed Nanoha's hand and shoved her cellphone into her palm. When Nanoha looked down at it, she discovered a picture of her and Subaru at the bar holding hands. It was obviously taken from the balcony above them. She thumbed through the rest of the pictures that followed. There were several of them talking at the table together and then a few on the dance floor. The album the pictures were in was titled "_Could this be love?_"

"Ginga...? What the hell?" Nanoha whispered.

"You know, I don't care what kind of arrangement you and Fate have. You know she wouldn't be out doing this while you were at home waiting for her."

Nanoha's eyes flashed in anger at the insinuation. "First off, this isn't what it looks like at all. And second, it's none of your business what I do or don't do!"

"She deserves better than being strung along by you! And so does Subaru! I already did that to her once and I regret it every day. I'll be damned if I see you screwing around with her emotions like that, too!"

"Alright, this is so stupid," Nanoha groaned and placed the phone back into Teana's hand. "I'm not fighting with you over this. You need to figure out why you're so upset right now, Teana. And I'm pretty sure it has nothing to do with me or Fate-chan."

"Yes it does. How do you think Fate feels right now, huh?" Teana continued as Nanoha passed by her. "You know she has seen these pictures already."

Nanoha turned around but continued walking up the front walkway. "And I'll explain that nothing happened if she has seen them. Now, go deal with your own problems and stop worrying about mine."

Teana threw her hands down at her sides in frustration and started walking back towards her car. Nanoha entered into her house and shut the door behind her before Teana could say anything else to her.

The lights in the main part of the house were off, leaving only the soft glow of the bedroom light spilling out into the hallway. Nanoha sighed and began the journey to her bedroom. Even though she felt no guilt for what happened earlier with Subaru at the bar, she was still very worried that Fate had received the pictures and would be just as upset at her as Teana was. She paused briefly outside of the bedroom door and tried to listen for any noises inside. She eventually turned the doorknob and let herself in the room.

"Hey," Fate greeted softly from the bed. She was currently sitting on top of the comforter and reading in just her bra and underwear. She placed the book on the nightstand as Nanoha shut the door behind her. Nanoha could feel herself staring at the tempting sight waiting for her on the bed, but she knew she had to make sure everything was still okay between them first.

"Hi," she replied cautiously. She eyed the cellphone sitting beside the book on the nightstand table. "Did anyone send you any pictures tonight, Fate-chan?"

Fate hummed and leaned over to pick up her phone. "I don't think so?" Nanoha watched with bated breath while she unlocked her phone and started looking through the contents. "No, not at all. Is there something going on?"

Nanoha felt immediate relief when she realized Ginga hadn't taken the pictures to send to Fate after all. They were only meant for Teana to see. She walked across the bedroom and looked out the window towards the street. She found Teana still standing outside on the sidewalk, now pacing and almost shouting into her cellphone. She also looked to be crying again. Nanoha then watched her get back into her car and drive away.

"I think someone just got a reality check," she mentioned quietly.

"What was that, Nanoha?" Fate asked.

"Nothing, really." She turned back to face the bed and smiled. "So, was everything okay here tonight?"

"Yep. Vivio and I had a lot of fun. How was your night? Where did you guys end up going?"

"This place called Velvet. Have you been there?"

Fate burst out laughing. "You went to Velvet?! That place is so full of drama!"

Nanoha giggled and started taking off her uniform jacket. "Nyahaha, tell me about it! It was fun, but I don't think I will be going back there again."

Fate beckoned her over to the bed once she had taken off her shoes and white stockings. She guided Nanoha to sit across her lap with her legs on either side while they continued talking.

"So, anything special happen there?" Fate asked. Nanoha tried to remain focused on the conversation as she felt Fate's hands slowly begin to run along the her legs.

"U-Um, yeah. I actually talked with Subaru a lot tonight. I never really realized it before, but I think I'm only interested in being with women."

Fate moved her hands down to the buttons on Nanoha's blouse next. "Oh, yeah? One trip to Velvet and you've already decided that?"

Nanoha slapped her lightly on the shoulder. "I'm being serious! I never knew why I was so against the idea of having something physical with someone else. But I think it was because I only considered the idea with men before all of this happened. And I don't want that. I never have."

Fate stopped undressing Nanoha momentarily and met her eyes instead. "You know, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't happy to hear that. You have a right to do what you want, but I think if there was a guy in the picture it would feel... different than if it were with another woman. Not that I would want to know about any of it, of course."

"I can see that." Nanoha wrapped her arms around Fate's neck and played with her hair. She soon felt Fate's gentle hands undoing the zipper on her skirt. "You're really okay with me going to that bar, Fate-chan? With all those women hitting on me and everything?"

"They were hitting on you?" she scowled playfully.

"You know they were. I was fresh meat to them."

Fate smiled when she heard Nanoha moan at her hands now sliding up her bare stomach and over her chest. "I don't think I have anything to worry about, Nanoha. At the end of the night, you're here in bed with me. I'll start worrying if that ever stops."

Nanoha removed her blouse and let her hair down to fall across her shoulders while Fate's hands remained busy. "I have no intention of doing that. I'm very satisfied with what we have going on."

The clasp of Nanoha's bra was eventually released. Fate slid the straps slowly off Nanoha's shoulders and met her eyes again. "I guess I'll have to make sure that doesn't change, huh?" she asked as the garment slipped through her fingers and onto the floor.

Nanoha pulled Fate's head against her bare chest in response. She closed her eyes and relished the feel of her lips and teeth now lightly kissing and nibbling on her skin. Her fingers slid into her blond hair and she gasped when Fate's mouth found her breast.

"I don't think it'll change, Fate-chan... This feels too right to ever stop."

**oOOOo**

It was the rain that ended her day. Nanoha sat up just after midnight in the darkened bedroom and listened to the heavy raindrops on the metal rooftop again. She glanced back at Fate lying naked under the sheet, already asleep for the night.

Raising Heart rested against her bare chest. She played with orb absently between her fingertips as she debated what to do next. Sleep was eluding her and she knew the reason why. She felt she was keeping a secret from the one person she never wanted to hide anything from.

Nanoha found a plain t-shirt and yoga pants in her dresser drawer and put them on. She then returned to sit on her side of the bed and brought up her transmitter screen. She found the button to record a video message and took a deep breath to steady herself. Eventually, the icon illuminated red to signal it was now recording. Nanoha's eyes shifted to look directly into the camera.

"Hey, Mom! I got your message this morning. I'm so happy to hear about Miyuki's engagement! Will you tell her I said congratulations? I hope you and Dad do the red velvet cake with the cream cheese frosting for the reception. That one is always the best. I also got the second part of your message where you asked about me getting married, too. Well, there's something I think I need to tell you first..."

Nanoha looked to her lap as she prepared the next thing she wanted to say to her mother. She felt tears start to form at the corners of her eyes, ones that she didn't expect to make an appearance at that moment. She tried to calm her nerves again before returning her vision to the camera.

"Mom - - I'm never going to marry a man. I know you say I should give it a chance, but it's just not possible for me. It's because I'm gay. Or... a lesbian? I think that's it. Whatever that term is for me, that's what I am." Nanoha had to stop herself briefly and laugh a little at her nervous stumble during the confession. She quickly wiped the few tears that had escaped with a shaky hand. She then cleared her throat so she could speak again.

"Anyway, I'm hoping that this doesn't change anything between you and me. Or with Dad, or the rest of the family. It's just a part of who I am, and I'm still the same person I've always been. I also know I'm not ready to settle down just yet or be married. But, whenever I do decide I want to be in a serious relationship with someone... It's going to be with a woman. I'm sorry to spring it on you like this. It just didn't seem right to not tell you. I hope you understand. Well, I love you, Mom! And I miss you and everyone so, so much. Please tell everyone back home I said hi if you would? Okay, I'm going to go now. I hope to hear from you soon. Bye, Mom. I love you!"

Nanoha kissed the tips of her index and middle fingers and turned them towards the screen, something she and her mother both did when they were signing off a message. She then pressed the stop button to end the recording. She scrolled through the contact section on the screen and selected her mother's email address. Her finger hesitated over the 'send mail' icon for quite some time as she debated whether she could actually go through with the confession or not.

Warm arms came to wrap around Nanoha's waist from behind her. "You don't have to send that until you're ready," Fate said quietly.

"I know. Sorry I woke you up, by the way."

"Don't be. I was glad I was able to hear that."

Nanoha took a deep breath and pressed the button. "Well, there goes nothing," she declared.

Fate squeezed her a bit tighter. "I'm sure it will be okay. Your mom loves you and just wants you to be happy."

"I hope it turns out that way."

"It will. So, are you ready to head back to bed?"

"Um-hmm," Nanoha nodded. "I'm pretty sure I'll be able to sleep a lot better now."

* * *

**A/N:** I am hoping things are back to normal for me and I can update this story sooner this week. See you again! ~Nissanity~


	8. Chapter 8 - The Mother of Wisdom

**A/N: **Not too much to say here except another heartfelt thank you for all the reviews and follows!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters from or the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha anime, nor any other movie, actor, song, or character referenced or stated in this story.

* * *

******FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS**

by : ~Nissanity~

******Chapter 8 – ****__****The Mother of Wisdom**

* * *

_~Day 6~_

The front sidewalk of St. Hilde Academy of Magic was a sea of colorful galoshes and rain coats, contrasting brilliantly against the otherwise monochrome day. Fate pulled the vehicle up to the curb as far as she could to help Vivio avoid the puddles in the gutter when she got out of the car.

"Have a good day at school, sweetie," Nanoha said as she began to exit the vehicle. "And be careful not to slip and fall in the mud. Do you have your umbrella? What about your hat?"

Vivio and Fate shared an amused glance together outside of Nanoha's vision. "I have them, Mama. I'll be okay."

The three of them watched one of her classmates fall onto the soggy ground just inside the entrance of the school. Nanoha pointed out the window at him and gave her daughter a stern look. "I'm serious. Be careful out there."

"I will be," she replied and shut the car door. Fate waited until Vivio was safely inside the school grounds and out of their sight before pulling the car away from the curb.

"It must have rained all night," she mentioned.

"Seems like it. Did you bring the list for the grocery store?"

"Yep. I should be done in plenty of time so I can pick them up around noon."

Nanoha smiled and reached for her hand. "Are you excited to see your mother and Arf?"

"I am. Are you?"

"Um-hmm. So... does your mother know, by the way?"

Fate sent an amused look her way. "What, about us? I'm not sure I want my mother to know I'm sleeping with my best friend."

"No, not that! I meant about you liking women in general. I've never asked you before. I just assumed she knew."

"Oh, right. Yes, she knows. Actually, she's the one who brought it up to me first. She said she's known since I was a child."

Nanoha hummed as she thought about the video confession she sent the previous night herself. "I wish my mother had just known like that. It might have made things a lot easier."

"Did you get a response from her yet?"

"No. I wasn't really expecting one. Not this soon, at least."

Fate pulled the car into the parking lot of TSAB headquarters to drop Nanoha off. "Well, I really hadn't planned on telling my mother or Arf about us. It would be kind of awkward to try to explain it to them."

"I agree. So, I guess that puts us back as just friends for the time being?"

"If that's okay with you?"

"Yes, that's fine. It's only for a few days. Maybe we'll even get a chance to catch up on some sleep."

Fate nodded in agreement. "We have been staying up pretty late every night, haven't we?"

Nanoha opened her door once that car had stopped in front of the entrance. "But it was worth it. Alright, I'll call you when I'm ready to be picked up."

"Sounds good. I'll see you this afternoon."

Nanoha lingered a few moments longer than usual after their goodbye. She caught Fate by surprise when she unexpectedly leaned forward and gave her a quick kiss before getting out of the vehicle.

"Sorry. It's just that I wouldn't be able to do that for a few days," she said as she stood outside the car and looked back in.

"It's okay. I didn't mind," Fate replied and smiled at her genuinely. Nanoha shut the door and waved through the window before turning her attention to the automatic doors at the entrance. She heard Fate pull the car away from the curb behind her, hitting a few puddles with the tires on the way out of the parking lot.

Once she entered into the lobby, she found familiar burnt-orange hair amid the sea of people crossing in front of her. She walked directly towards the visitor, knowing that the person was most likely there to see her.

"Hello, Teana," she said as she neared her. Nanoha noticed she looked tired, and she had to guess that she hadn't slept at all the night before.

"Hi, Nanoha. I just wanted to - "

"Apologize? It's fine, really. What Ginga did to you wasn't the nicest thing, whether she was trying to help her sister out or not. I can't fault you completely for getting so upset when you were blind-sided like that."

Teana nodded seriously. "Okay. Thank you for understanding."

"Did you and Subaru work it out last night?"

Blue eyes brimmed with tears at the question and she shook her head. "No, we didn't. She got upset with me for jumping to conclusions with the pictures. She also said she couldn't forget what happened between us before. She said she doesn't want to get hurt again."

Nanoha put her hand on her shoulder to try to comfort her. "Teana, you shouldn't be rushing into anything just because your emotions are running high right now. I've seen it get you into trouble too many times before. You need to decide first if you actually want to be with Subaru or not."

Teana swallowed hard and nodded again. Nanoha could tell she was trying her best not to cry. "Thank you for the advice, Nanoha. You're right, I really should think about this more. I don't want to end up hurting her again. Look... I really am sorry about the way I acted towards you last night."

"Thank you for apologizing, Teana. It means a lot to me. And I hope things work out the way they are supposed to between you two."

"Me, too. I'll see you later, Nanoha."

"Goodbye, Teana." Nanoha sighed as she watched Teana exit through the front lobby doors of headquarters and walk out into the parking lot. She made her journey to her office next and hoped she could get through the rest of her work day without having to deal with any more drama.

**oOOOo**

The airport was crowded that Friday afternoon as Fate waited by baggage claim for her guests. After checking the schedule, she found their ship had arrived on time and that they were currently being shuttled to her section of the airport.

"Fate! FATE!"

Orange hair bobbed up and down through the crowd of people. "Arf? Is that you?" Fate asked loudly and stood on her tippy toes.

"FAAATTTEEEE!" Arf yelled and then pounced. Fate nearly lost her balance as her familiar tackled her in an overwhelming hug. Her mother's teal-hair could be seen making a calmer journey towards them.

"Arf! How are you? I've missed you!" Fate asked happily.

Arf took a step back to fully assess her blond master. Her eyes quickly focused on her neck. "Whoa, who gave you that?!"

Fate's hand flew up to cover the mark and she immediately blushed. "Wait, you can see that?! I thought it was gone already!"

Lindy stepped through the crowd and embraced her daughter fully. "Hello, Fate. It's so good to see you again."

"It's good to see you, too. How was your trip?"

"It was pleasant. So, what were you saying about something being gone?"

"Oh, it was nothing."

Arf pointed at her neck. "Look, Lindy! Fate has a hickey."

Lindy leaned forward to inspect the spot closer. "Oh, my... She sure does. Care to tell us who the lucky girl is?"

Fate sighed loudly in response to how quickly her secret had been exposed. "How about we talk about in the car?" she said in resignation.

"Wonderful!" Lindy replied and turned towards the designated turnstile in baggage claim to wait for their luggage. The three chatted casually about the voyage from Earth and the upcoming conference starting on Monday. Fate learned they would be checking into their hotel Sunday night, and that the conference was regarding a new threat TSAB faced on an unadministrated world the next galaxy over.

It wasn't until they were in Nanoha's SUV and leaving the airport did they approach the subject of the mark on her neck again. Fate was struggling with whether she should disclose to them who exactly she was sleeping with or not.

"So...?" Arf ventured from the back seat. She tapped Fate playfully on the bruise while she drove.

"It's nothing serious. It's a completely casual thing."

Lindy looked back at Arf. "What does that mean exactly? Completely casual?"

"It means she and this girl aren't in a relationship. They're just having sex."

Fate could feel her face turning red again when she felt Lindy's amused eyes on her. "Well that sounds fun, Fate! You're still young. You'll have plenty of time to settle down later. So who is it? Ginga, maybe? You talk about her sometimes."

"I bet it's Ginga," Arf added in.

"No, it's not Ginga," Fate replied.

"Signum?" Lindy guessed next.

"What?!" Fate responded in shock and looked between her and Arf in a state of disbelief. "Why would you think it was her?"

"Well, you looked up to her for so long as a mentor. I thought maybe - ?"

"No, it's definitely not Signum." She finally gave up and decided to disclose the answer before they tried to name anyone else. "It's Nanoha," she admitted.

"Nano...ha...?" Lindy trailed off in surprise. Out of her peripheral vision, Fate could see her and Arf sharing a look that she couldn't decipher.

"What?"

Arf held her hands out in front of her. "I think we're just surprised that you would want to have something casual with _her_, that's all," she said cautiously.

Fate frowned at her in the rear view mirror. "But she's my best friend? I trust her with everything, including that."

"Well, as long as you two are happy with your arrangement, dear. That's all that matters," Lindy tried to assure her. She then pointed to an upcoming off-ramp from the freeway. "Exit here if you would, please?"

The downtown skyline soon loomed overhead as Lindy directed them into the middle of the city. "Where are we going?" Fate finally asked while they were stopped to let a few pedestrians pass in front of them at a busy intersection.

"Just one of my favorite places in Cranagan. You can park anywhere along the street." Lindy tapped Fate on the arm and pointed to a few empty parking spaces one street over. "And after we stop there, we can have some lunch together."

Fate could see Arf growing more excited in the backseat as they pulled into one of the parking spots nearby. By the time they were out of the SUV and walking along the sidewalk, she was nearly bouncing out of her shoes.

"_Forbidden Fruit?_" Fate read out loud as the three approached a small red and black building nestled between two larger ones. The sign outside was a painted apple with a large bite missing out of it. "What type of store is this?"

Lindy winked at her and held the front door open for them. "You'll see."

The moment Fate walked a few feet inside the store, she stopped in her tracks and looked around wildly. Although she had never been in an adult shop before, she recognized where she was immediately. She took a step back but Arf came right up behind her.

"Come on, Fate! We've got some shopping to do! "Fate felt two strong hands push her by the shoulders further into the store. Her heart pounded as she took in at all the toys and other accessories that lined the aisles.

"Why did you guys bring me here?!"

"Because we finally can!" Arf replied ecstatically. "And plus I need a few things."

Lindy smiled gently at her after grabbing an item from the shelf. "This store is better than most of the ones on Earth. I try to stop here at least once when I visit Mid-Childa."

"W-Well, what should I do?" Fate asked as she warily eyed the lubricant now resting in her mother's hand.

"Look around and see if there is anything you're interested in. Or Nanoha, for that matter."

"Okay..." Fate reluctantly walked away from them and scanned the aisle they were one. Once she was out of their eyesight, she ducked around a corner and retrieved Bardiche from her pocket. She pulled up her transmitter screen and summoned Raising Heart as fast as she could.

"Hey, what's up?" Nanoha greeted her happily.

"Shhh, Nanoha!" Fate warned in a hushed voice. She made a motion with her hand for her to be quiet.

Nanoha frowned at the gesture. "Fate-chan, where are you? Did you pick them up yet?"

"Yes. I'm at this place called Forbidden Fruit with them. Have you ever been here?"

"I haven't heard of it. What do they sell?"

Fate moved away from the camera so Nanoha could get a good view of the shelf behind her. Pink and purple strap-ons and their accessories filled her screen. Nanoha tried to block the sight of them with her body from anyone who might be passing behind her at work.

"Fate-chan... Are those what I think they are?"

"Yes! I'm at a sex shop with my mother, Nanoha!"

"Nyahaha! Why?!"

"Why do you think?!" Burgundy eyes nervously glanced over the top of the shelves. Fate found her mother and Arf now perusing the vibrator section a few rows over. "I should probably go before they catch me here. Um... I-Is there anything you want from here? I'm supposed to be looking for you, too."

Nanoha held her sides from laughing at Fate's flustered face on her screen. "I don't know," she gasped. She finally took a deep breath and wiped her eyes. "Ahhh... Something pink, I guess."

"Okay, I'll try."

"Good luck, Fate-chan!" Nanoha's grinning face disappeared from in front of her. After pocketing Bardiche, Fate turned around and walked the few aisles over to join her mother and Arf again.

"What do you think, Fate?" Arf asked and held up two boxes in the air. "The dolphin or the teddy bear?"

"Well, the teddy bear is cuter - "

"Great! What color?"

"Um... pink?"

"Perfect!" She turned back to the shelf to retrieve a pink version of the bear and then handed her the box. "That one is my treat. Now, let's go pick out some more stuff for you guys!"

**oOOOo**

The front door of Fate's home felt like the entrance to a sanctuary after the afternoon she had endured. She helped carry her guests' suitcases in from the car and set them down in the bedroom for them. Lindy and Arf were giggling together again, although Fate wasn't sure what specifically had set them off in a tizzy this time.

After the shopping spree at the adult shop, the group stopped at a nearby cafe for lunch. No matter what they tried to discuss, the topic of conversation always seemed to revert back to the womens' sexual exploits. And the more the two women indulged in margaritas and mixed drinks, the more information they were willing to share with Fate.

"You are more than welcome to take a nap in our bedroom if you'd like?" Fate suggested.

Arf eyed her with playful suspicion. "Did you wash the sheets?"

"Yes, we washed the sheets!" she shouted and blushed for the countless time that afternoon. Lindy and Arf both burst into laughter again.

"We're kidding, sweetie!" her tipsy mother assured her. "But a nap does sound nice."

Bardiche chimed from inside Fate's pocket. She pulled up her transmitter screen and found Nanoha smiling at her. "Fate-chan, we finished training today so - "

"Hi, Nanoha! We're here!" Arf interrupted. She and Lindy crowded behind Fate and both waved at the screen.

"Hey guys! I was just telling Fate-chan that she can come and get me. We'll get Vivio from practice and then head home."

"Oh, that's wonderful!" Lindy said happily. "Arf and I are probably going to take a nap until you guys get here. We want to be fully charged for Vivio tonight."

"That's probably a really good idea. Fate-chan, are you free to come pick me up?"

"Yes! Absolutely. I'm on my way right now."

"Okay, see you soon."

Fate nearly ran to the front door to escape. "If you guys want to shower, there's towels in the cabinet under the vanity. Okay, bye!" She quickly exited and shut the door behind her before they could say anything else to tease her. Lindy and Arf could be heard laughing loudly again from inside the house moments later.

The trip to headquarters was relatively uneventful, minus the few times Fate caught herself speeding to get to her destination faster. She was still feeling anxious after the afternoon visit, and she couldn't help but think the experience would have been significantly less nerve-wracking if Nanoha been able to go as well. She immediately calmed down when she caught sight of her waiting outside the front entrance of headquarters.

"Thanks for picking me up so quickly," Nanoha said as she entered in on the passenger side.

Fate pulled them out of the parking lot at a significantly slower pace than when she had arrived. "It's no problem. I needed a break from them already."

Nanoha smiled and gave her a reassuring pat on the leg. "You can tell me what happened today, if you'd like?"

"No, it's alright. But my mother and Arf already know about us."

"How long did it take them to figure it out?"

"About fifteen minutes."

"That's actually longer than I thought you could hold out," Nanoha said and patted her again. She then glanced into the backseat. "Fate-chan, what's this?" she asked as she reached into the rear of the car.

"What's what?" Fate gasped when she caught sight of the tell-tale brown paper bag now coming to rest in her passenger's lap.

Nanoha pointed down at it. "Is this what I think it is?"

"I don't know. What do you think it is?"

"Well, I think I can take a good guess!" she laughed.

Fate watched her open the bag from the corner of her eye. "Y-You don't have to look at those now if you don't want to."

"It's fine, it's fine. The windows are tinted if there's anything too naughty in here. Oh look, it's a teddy bear!" Nanoha pulled out the box with the small pink vibrator inside. She turned it over and started reading the description on the back. "They say this one is the perfect size for your purse."

"I don't own a purse."

Nanoha proceeded to open the top of the box and pull out the contents. She carefully removed the tape from the edges of the plastic container and then held the bear up in front of her eyes. "Well, I definitely own a purse. And it's pink! So what do you do? I guess you turn the base here and - "

The vibrator unexpectedly powered on in Nanoha's hand. She screamed and fumbled with it a few times before it went sailing across the car, ended up in-between Fate's legs in the driver seat. "Oh shit, Nanoha! It tickles!" she shouted and squirmed wildly.

"Wait! Hang on!" Nanoha yelled back and attempted to find it in the seat. The SUV swerved a few times when Nanoha tried to reach her hand under and between Fate's thighs. Fate finally pulled the car over to the shoulder and placed the gearshift into park. She hurriedly unfastened her seatbelt and raised up so that the toy could be retrieved from under her. Nanoha tried to pick it up but it fell out of her hand again in her haste, landing in the gap between the driver's seat and the middle console.

Fate sat back down heavily and then slumped against the steering wheel. Nanoha looked remorsefully at the item still vibrating in the crevice. "I didn't realize it had batteries already," she mentioned.

"Yeah, they put some in at the checkout to test it." Fate joined Nanoha in looking between the seat and the console. "How are we going to get it out?"

"Let me see..." Nanoha pulled open the glove box and searched for something that could be useful in the situation. She eventually found a pair of throw-away chopsticks in a paper wrapper. After breaking them apart, she handed one of the sticks to Fate. "You get it under one of the arms with yours and I'll use this one."

"Alright, I'll go left." The two both stabbed at the toy with their chopsticks until they each had accomplished their half of the task. The vibrating hindered their ability to raise it up significantly, causing it to fall back down further into the crack. Eventually, they had it pulled it up enough out of the gap so Nanoha could grab it by one of its ears.

"Got it!" she announced proudly and then turned it off. Fate watched in amusement as she unzipped an inner side pocket in her purse and placed the vibrator inside.

"I think that should be a new rule - - No sex toys in the car," Fate suggested.

"Yes, for sure. That's a very smart rule."

Fate pulled them back out into traffic and they continued the journey to pick Vivio up from practice next. She was just about to turn on the radio when she heard the distinct sound of a paper bag rustling again.

Nanoha noticed Fate now staring at her like she had just caught her with her hand in the cookie jar. "What?! I can't _not_ look, Fate-chan!" she said defensively.

"Okay, Nanoha. Just try to keep them on your side of the car, please."

"Hey, what's this?" Nanoha asked, already distracted by the contents of the bag again. She pulled out a tube of lubricant that Lindy had picked out for them. "_Strawberry Paradise,_" she read out loud.

"Yeah. It's my mom's favorite, apparently."

"Hmmm... I really didn't need to know that." Nanoha turned the tube over to read the back. "This says it's edible. Well, we'll see about that."

Fate again watched from the corner of her eye as Nanoha put a few drops of the liquid on her index finger. She first smelled it and seemed satisfied that it indeed had the scent of strawberries. It wasn't until she had placed her fingertip in her mouth did she turn to Fate with an alarmed look.

"No good?" Fate asked.

Nanoha shook her head angrily and frowned, now afraid to swallow or even move her tongue in any way. She eventually got the courage to pull her finger out of her mouth carefully. She had to retrieve the water bottle from her purse and take a few sips to try to get the taste out of her mouth. Fate was surprised to see Nanoha then put another few drops of the liquid onto her next fingertip.

"I thought you hated the way it tasted?"

"I did. This is for you to try."

"Why would I want to try it? I can already tell it tastes terrible!"

"Fate-chan..." Nanoha warned slowly and added a pout for good measure. She held her finger in the air towards her and waited patiently.

Fate eventually sighed and opened up her mouth. Nanoha giggled when Fate bit on her finger lightly before licking the liquid off of it. She immediately scowled afterward and wished she hadn't agreed to the taste test.

"Blah! I bet that's what strawberry asbestos tastes like."

"Asbestos! How random," Nanoha laughed. She threw the bottle of lubricant back into the paper bag and began digging some more. There was movement in the seat that Fate had to ignore temporarily to concentrate on driving. After they had pulled up to a stoplight, she was able to look over at her again.

"What do you think?" Nanoha asked with a huge grin. She pointed to the spiked dog collar that was currently hanging around her neck.

"Oops! I think some of Arf's stuff got in there," Fate replied and looked into the bag as well.

"Oh, that's too bad," she pretended to sulk. The light turned green and they started driving again. "How about this? Is this better?" Nanoha then asked.

Fate glanced over again to find Nanoha now had a matching leather leash attached to the ring on the collar. She burst into laughter at the sight. "Is there anything else in there I should know about?"

"Well, I see something in here that you will definitely be using on me soon," Nanoha replied. She became consumed with curiosity while she studied the object in question near the bottom of the bag.

Fate knew exactly what she was talking about and was surprised at her candidness about it all. "How are you able to be so open about all of this, Nanoha?"

"Well, it's because I'm talking about it with you, Fate-chan. I wouldn't be like this with anyone else." Nanoha took off the leash and collar and put them away. The brown paper bag was then folded shut again and placed on the floorboard by her feet.

"I'm glad you feel that way about me. I do, too." Fate reached for her hand across the console just as she had done hundreds of times before in her life. Nanoha smiled and entwined their fingers together, something she had never done before.

"That's different," Fate mentioned and held up their hands between them.

"Um-hmm. But so are a lot of things between us."

"I guess so." Fate cleared her throat slightly once she had pulled them into the parking lot of Vivio's training facility. Her classmates were already filing out of the building before Fate even had a chance to place the car in park.

"I'm sure Vivio is excited to see Lindy and Arf," Nanoha mentioned as their daughter came running towards the car.

While Vivio was climbing into the backseat, Fate tried to pull her hand away from Nanoha's. She was surprised when Nanoha gripped it tighter so that she couldn't let go. She then felt her place her other hand on top of hers, as if to ensure her hand wasn't going anywhere.

As soon as her seatbelt was fastened, Vivio looked to the front and caught sight of her mothers holding hands. "Are you guys practicing again?" she said with a giggle.

Nanoha smiled at her and shook her head. She then turned to face Fate directly. "No, it's something I want to do with her for real," she informed them both.

**oOOOo**

"Grandma!" Vivio screamed after bursting through the front door of the house. She dropped her backpack on the floor and raced around the corner to find her grandmother waiting for her with open arms on the couch. Nanoha picked up her school bag while Fate made a covert trip to a nearby closet with the brown paper sack. She placed it on the top shelf, far out of Vivio's reach.

As the two parents made their way into the living room, they were surprised to see Arf currently in her puppy form. Vivio finished hugging Lindy and then made a path straight for the orange fuzzball. Arf was soon being carried around under her arms against Vivio's chest.

"Arf, you're in your puppy form today?" Nanoha asked.

"Hi, Nanoha! Yeah, I thought Vivio might enjoy it."

"I want to go play in my bedroom with Arf!" Vivio cried.

"Okay! I have a bunch of funny cat videos I want to show you," she replied while being carted out of the living room by the little girl.

"I'll go with them," Fate assured Nanoha and Lindy. She chased after the two down the hallway and into Vivio's bedroom.

Lindy stood up from the couch and embraced Nanoha affectionately. "It's so good to see you, Nanoha. You look just beautiful."

"Thank you, Lindy. You look like you're doing well. How are things?"

"Oh, they're fine. I'm so glad we could come visit you before this conference on Monday. We missed you all so much."

Nanoha turned towards the kitchen and indicated for Lindy to follow her. "And we missed you, too. I hope you don't mind, I'm going to start dinner while we catch up."

"Oh, I would love to help! Just point me in the right direction."

After a few brief instructions regarding what Nanoha had planned to make for dinner, the two women were soon side by side at the counter chopping vegetables and seasoning ingredients together. Nanoha smiled to herself as she recalled the times she spent next Lindy in the kitchen as a child, similar to how she was now. "This brings back some memories," she mentioned.

"It does. You spent quite a lot of time at our house after school. I've always considered you to be like a second daughter to me, you know?"

"Thank you. And you were like a second mother to me as well. Although I can't say I think of Fate-chan like a sister, honestly."

"I imagine you wouldn't, seeing the arrangement you two have going on right now."

Nanoha could feel herself blushing at the comment as she continued to prepare the food in front of her. "I found the bag in the car of the things she bought today. I imagine it was fun to take her there to that store."

Lindy nodded. "Um-hmm, it was. It's a subject Fate and I have never openly discussed before. She has always been a little reserved about certain issues, and I never wanted to push her or embarrass her too much. I'm pretty sure Arf and I still did that today, though."

"So she explained what was happening between us?"

"Yes, for the most part. She didn't get into details, of course." Lindy paused in her task and looked over at Nanoha seriously. "Fate says her new mission is scheduled to start in a week. Have you two discussed what will happen next? Will you continue this when she gets back, or is it just something you're doing this one time she's on leave?"

Nanoha stopped preparing the food in front of her completely and struggled to find the right answer to the question. It was not something she and Fate had discussed yet, and she had been too caught up in their time together to really stop and think about the long-term implications.

"I-I don't know," Nanoha finally admitted. "We haven't really talked about it. I guess we should figure it out soon."

"I only bring it up because you have to be clear about expectations in these types of situations. That way no one is taken by surprise."

"You're right. We'll make a decision together before she leaves again. I wouldn't want to feel like I was holding her back if there was something else she wanted to do."

Lindy hummed thoughtfully. "And what about your feelings, Nanoha? Could you handle seeing her with someone else after all this?"

The question felt like an unexpected dagger in the pit of Nanoha's stomach. She took a deep breath and tried to find the most rational answer she could without letting her emotions overwhelm her like they had previously done. "What Fate-chan wants for herself is the most important thing. It doesn't matter what I can or can't handle. I'm not going to force her to do something she doesn't want to do."

"That sounds very mature and practical. But then again, you could also remind her that she can still be with you when she gets back?"

"Be with me...?"

Lindy noted that Nanoha now seemed completely lost in her own thoughts after the statement. She decided it best not to press the issue any further. She pushed the vegetables off of her cutting board and into the casserole dish instead to change the subject. "I'm all done with the vegetables, Nanoha. What else can I do to help you?"

**oOOOo**

Fate looked away from the movie the family was currently watching and found Vivio fast asleep in her grandmother's lap on the couch. Lindy smiled at her and silently stood up with her cradled in her arms.

"Do you need help putting her to bed?" Fate asked quietly and stood up as well.

"No, Arf and I can handle it. We'll probably head to bed ourselves afterward."

"You guys have a good night. Let us know if you need anything," Nanoha added. She began collecting the various dessert plates and tea cups from the coffee table to take to the kitchen. Fate began setting up the air mattress while Lindy and Arf headed towards the rear of the house to put Vivio to bed.

"Vivio gave them a run for their money earlier," Fate mentioned once Nanoha had returned to the living room.

"She did. I bet they are completely exhausted."

Nanoha helped Fate lay the blanket over the top of the mattress and then placed their two pillows at the top. "Good thing we changed into our pajamas when we did. I'm pretty worn out myself."

"Well, it's not exactly our bed but it should be comfortable enough," Fate replied as she turned out the light above them. She crawled into her side first and then balanced herself on the wobbly bed so Nanoha could enter in beside her.

"I'm sure it will be fine." Nanoha nestled into the covers at first, but her eyes soon popped open again and she looked down at the gap between them. "Fate-chan, am I sliding closer to you?"

Even with just the moonlight filtering in through the window, Fate could clearly see Nanoha already lying much closer to her. "It's possible. Does it feel like we're sinking?"

Nanoha sighed. "There must be a hole in the mattress."

"That's impossible. I double-checked it and everything yesterday." Fate sat up and listened intently for any leaks. Sure enough, she soon heard air escaping from beside her. She followed the sound and discovered a tiny hole near the top of her side of the bed.

"So now what?" Nanoha asked.

"Maybe it won't be so bad if there is just one of us? I'll sleep on the couch and you can have this."

Fate stood up and took her pillow and one of the extra blankets resting beside the mattress. Shins and feet were the soon only thing Fate could see after she made the short journey across the living room. The rest of Nanoha's body was already being swallowed by the mattress. "How is it, Nanoha?"

"It's okay, I guess," her muffled voice replied.

Fate smiled in amusement and adjusted her pillow against the armrest. After laying down, she closed her eyes briefly and tried to settle in to the cushions. She reopened them when she sensed Nanoha hovering beside her a few moments later. "It was no good?" she ventured.

Nanoha shook her head and eyed the couch. "Um-um."

"Alright, come on," Fate said and lifted up the blanket. Nanoha crawled underneath it and laid off to one side, although half of her body was still resting against Fate's. Nanoha snuggled into her as the blanket was dropped back down on the both of them. "Is that better?" Fate asked.

"Yes, much better," she replied and rested her head fully on Fate's shoulder.

"This actually feels more comfortable than the mattress, I think."

Gentle fingers casually trailed along Fate's opposite shoulder and down her arm. "Fate-chan, can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"You would tell me if you wanted to stop what we have going on, right?"

Fate looked down at her in slight apprehension. "Of course I would. But that's not something I want. Is that something you want?"

Nanoha's hand found Fate's and she entwined their fingers like she had done earlier. "Not at all. I just want you to know that you could tell me if you thought we shouldn't be doing this anymore."

"Okay, I'll remember that."

"Hey, Fate-chan...?"

"Hmmm?"

Nanoha raised up on her elbow to face her directly. "Can we break the rules for a few minutes?"

Fate glanced over at the darkened hallway and then back at the earnest eyes hovering closely above her. "I don't know if we should be doing that in here, Nanoha."

"Geez, Fate-chan. Not _that_," Nanoha sulked. "I'm not that bad."

"Oh," Fate replied and then smiled up at her. "Well, I wouldn't say no to it."

Nanoha brought her lips down to first brush against Fate's lightly. The kiss started slow and gentle like it had so many times before between them, but it soon ignited a new set of unfamiliar emotions in Nanoha. Something changed inside her completely the second she felt Fate's hands slide into her hair to deepen the connection between them. She found herself having to steady her body that now was shaking uncontrollably the longer their interaction lasted. The experience left her mind completely clouded and she knew she couldn't sustain their embrace much longer. She finally pulled away and clung to the woman beneath her like a lifeline instead.

"Nanoha, are you okay? What's wrong?"

Nanoha buried her head in her shoulder again. She listened to Fate's breath come and go beside her ear. "It's nothing. I'm fine," she lied quietly.

"Why don't we get some sleep? It's been a long week."

"Okay," she whispered in return. She managed to push away her thoughts and emotions temporarily, promising herself she could dwell on them later once she could think clearly again.

Fate placed a gentle kiss against Nanoha's forehead and held her closer in her arms. "Goodnight, Nanoha."

"Goodnight, Fate-chan..."

* * *

**A/N:** See you soon! ~Nissanity~


	9. Chapter 9 - In Place of Pain

**A/N:** I almost hated to write part of this chapter, but it was necessary to touch on Fate's issues about trust and self-worth. Sadly, there is no way to address them without it being a little painful due to her god-awful childhood experiences. This chapter took some extra time to get right since I tried to capture the characters' emotions appropriately. I hope you enjoy it!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters from or the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha anime, nor any other movie, actor, song, or character referenced or stated in this story.

* * *

******FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS**

by : ~Nissanity~

******Chapter 9 – ****__****In Place of Pain**

* * *

_~Day 7~_

"_Fate...cha..." _

Faint murmurs beside Fate's ear woke her up in a state of slight confusion. She slowly opened her eyes and found Nanoha still curled up asleep against her shoulder on the couch. She then looked up to the dark ceiling and debated whether she had actually heard Nanoha's voice calling out to her, or if she had just dreamed it. A glance over at the clock on the DVD player beside the television read 4:06AM.

As her eyes focused more, Fate found herself studying the woman still sleeping peacefully next to her. Even with just the moonlight casting down upon them, she could clearly see how flawless and smooth her skin really was. The only mark was a faint scar above her left eyebrow, a result of the drone attack that nearly killed her when they were younger.

She noticed next that her lips were fuller than she had ever recognized before. Their rosy coloring seemed to be spilling onto her cheeks slightly, peppering them with the faintest of blushes. Her deep breaths caused her chest to rise and fall at a steady and soothing pace. Fate found herself slightly mesmerized by the cadence and matched the rhythm with her own. She then placed a gentle kiss on top of her head and wrapped her arms around her a bit tighter.

Just before she dozed back off, Nanoha sucked in a quick breath and then held it. Fate reopened her eyes to find Nanoha's peaceful face now tensed up, as is she might be having a bad dream. Fate was just about to wake her when she heard a soft moan escape past her lips.

"_Don't stop...Fate-chan..._" she breathed.

The blond's eyebrows raised in shock when she then felt Nanoha's hand move to cup her breast. She had to stifle her own moan when Nanoha found her nipple and began to fondle her.

"Nanoha!" she said in the loudest whisper she could to wake her.

"Hmmm?"

"Nanoha, wake up!"

"Huh? What is it?"

Nanoha's eyes opened to discover her hand firmly grasped around Fate's breast in front of her. She turned her head upwards and froze when she found wide burgundy eyes staring down at her.

"Nanoha, what are you doing?" Fate asked.

"Um..." she replied and searched her hazy memory. Visions of the dream she just had crossed her mind and she suddenly burst into a quiet giggle. "Nyahaha! I think I was having a sex dream about you."

"Oh my god," Fate laughed and relaxed into the couch again. "Now I'm not sure whether I should be happy or jealous."

"That's a good question. You were doing pretty good in my dream, actually."

"Well, there's really no way I can compete with that, is there?"

Nanoha silently propped herself up on an elbow to face her and ran her fingers along her cheek to get her attention. Once Fate had met her steady gaze, she immediately recognized the sincerity currently present in her expressive eyes.

"No one could ever compete with you, Fate-chan," Nanoha said seriously.

Fate's demeanor changed completely. "Nano... ha...?"

The unexpected comment, once it had fully sunk in, momentarily took her breath away. Her eyes searched Nanoha's intently, seeking any hint of playfulness or teasing in them. What she found instead was an earnestness that signaled Nanoha needed her to understand that her words and the feelings behind them were genuine.

Fate leaned forward and brought her lips against Nanoha's first. There was nothing rushed about the kiss shared between the two that early morning, nor was it meant to lead to anything more than what it was at that moment. It was a sincere gesture meant to confirm that Fate understood and accepted Nanoha's intentions. And for Nanoha, it was a captivating and genuine expression that she lost herself in completely.

When Fate pulled away and rested her forehead against hers, she kept her eyes closed and allowed herself to succumb to the gentle afterglow of their intimate exchange. Nanoha soon felt Fate's breathing slow into a deep and steady rhythm, having fallen back asleep in the warmth and comfort of her arms.

Nanoha gave her one last kiss on the forehead and stared at her sleeping face beside hers. "I'm sorry, Fate-chan," she whispered. "But I think I just broke the biggest rule of all between us."

**oOOOo**

The sound of giggles and snickers nearby was Nanoha's alarm clock early that Saturday morning. "._..that's interesting..._" she then heard in the void of her semi-conscious state.

She first raised her hand to rub her eyes and to block the bright sunlight filtering in through the living room windows. She could feel lines and creases in her cheek from resting against Fate's now wrinkled pajama top. As she propped herself up onto her elbow, she found Fate still sleeping peacefully on her back underneath her. She then turned her vision upward to find Lindy and Arf both grinning at them.

"Good morning!" Lindy said with a bright smile to her.

"Oh... good morning."

"Problems with the air mattress last night?" Arf asked.

Nanoha eyed the sharp fingernails on the woman's hands as she sat up fully on the couch. "Yes, it had a hole in it."

Arf turned to Lindy. "I don't remember it having a hole when I moved it out of the way yesterday."

Lindy snickered again. "Oh, my... I wonder how that could have happened?"

Nanoha placed the blanket over Fate again so that she could sleep a few more minutes. She then led Arf and Lindy to the kitchen. "Would you like some coffee before we get going today?" she asked them.

"We'd love some," Lindy replied. "We were just discussing the trip to Park Road, actually."

Nanoha looked out the window above the sink and noted the clear blue sky. "It's a beautiful day out. I really think we're going to have a lot of fun. Vivio's never been to an amusement park before."

Lindy smiled and looked out the window as well. "Well, since the administration is holding the event there, a lot of people from headquarters should be showing up. I'm looking forward to catching up with some of them."

"I'm just looking forward to the roller coasters!" Arf said excitedly. She even punched the air a few times like a boxer, as if she were getting pumped up for them.

Small feet came plodding down the hallway in their direction. Nanoha was surprised to see Vivio make an entrance into the kitchen doorway in just her bathing suit. "I'm ready! I want to go to the water park there first!" she declared.

The three women shared an amused glance. "Sweetie, you have to put some clothes on over your suit," Nanoha gently told her. "And we'll be going out to breakfast first. Hurry so that we can go eat, okay?"

"Okay," Vivio replied reluctantly. Her shoulders sagged as she walked back out of the kitchen and down the hallway to retrieve some more clothing like she had been instructed to.

Nanoha pressed the power button on the coffee pot and then pointed back towards the living room. "I guess that leaves just one person that needs to be woken up, doesn't it?"

"We'll just leave that up to you, dear," Lindy replied and gave her playful wink.

Nanoha blushed and silently walked out of the kitchen, purposefully avoiding the cheeky grins directed at her. When she entered the living room, she found Fate still very much asleep in the same spot on the couch. She waited until she heard Vivio's door click shut before she attempted to wake her.

"Fate-chan..." she called softly as she knelt beside the couch. No immediate response was given, so she eyed the blanket that was currently covering her instead.

"It's time to wake up, Fate-chan," she continued. She grabbed the corner of the blanket and carefully pulled it off of her. Fate stirred slightly with its loss but soon settled back into the cushions.

Sensing that Fate had no intention of waking up through normal means, Nanoha slowly crawled to lay beside her on the couch like she had done the night before. She began to trail her fingers along Fate's stomach, the trick she used before to get her to wake up a few days prior.

Fate's eyelids fluttered slightly but remained close. "Um-um... Raincheck, Nanoha..." she muttered.

Nanoha's eyebrows raised in complete surprise at the brush off. "Oh, you are in _so_ much trouble now."

The blond had little time to react to the warning before Nanoha had her completely pinned against the couch. Fingers that were normally soft and gentle where now poking and tickling her hard in the sides. Fate laughed and yelled at the over-stimulation being inflicted upon her.

"I-I'm sorry!" she gasped.

"Too late, you 'rainchecked' me! I'm never touching you again!" Nanoha stepped away from the couch and pretended to stomp away, but Fate sat up and grabbed her by the hand before she could get too far away. She pulled her back down into her lap and steadily met the defiant sapphire eyes with her own.

"You really think you could make good on that threat?"

"I could if I tried. Just watch me."

"Alright, that's the new rule. Nanoha no longer touches me." Fate moved her out of her lap and stood up, leaving her to sit by herself on the couch. Nanoha rose as well and tried to reach for her hand, but Fate pulled it away before she could grab it. She walked backwards out of the living room and towards the hallway.

"Fate-chan..." Nanoha warned again, although she currently had a huge smile on her face.

"You're not supposed to touch me anymore, remember? You're always breaking the rules, Nanoha."

Nanoha took another swipe and Fate dodged it again, which made her even more determined. "I can break whatever damn rule I want if it's stupid."

"So now the rules are stupid?" Fate teased in return. She started running towards the dining room with Nanoha fast on her heels.

"They are when I don't want to do them anymore!" Nanoha shouted.

Fate turned the corner back into the living room and continued running away from her throughout the house. She avoided the furniture in her path and eventually made it down the hallway. She burst in through their closed bedroom door and let Nanoha catch up with her in the middle of the room. Nanoha's arms wrapped around Fate's waist from behind and tackled her onto the bed.

"You lose, Nanoha!" Fate laughed and tried to crawl away from her.

Nanoha managed to flip her over on the bed and sat herself across her waist. She proceeded to tickle her even harder than before. "Nuh-uh! I'm pretty sure I won this time, Fate-chan!"

Fate's laughs and Nanoha's screams and giggles echoed out of the open bedroom door and down the hallway. Lindy and Arf both smiled at each other in the kitchen when they heard the playful banter coming from the other end of the house.

"Completely casual my ass," Arf muttered between sips of coffee.

Lindy gave her a gentle pat on the arm. "Oh, hush. They'll work it out on their own soon enough."

**oOOOo**

Screaming from the rides and the smell of fried food filled the air as the group entered their second hour at the amusement park together. Vivio's little legs were already starting to get tired from walking, so she was currently sitting on Fate's shoulders while eating an ice cream cone instead. Fate raised her hand to her hair when she felt a few sticky drops fall onto her head.

"Nyahaha! I'll get that," Nanoha said when she noticed what had happened. She first wiped the melted ice cream away with a napkin from her purse. She then placed the napkin on top of Fate's head as an impromptu bib to catch any more drips that might be in her future.

"How does it look?" Fate asked her. "Pretty sexy?"

Nanoha wrapped her arms around her waist and hugged her tightly. "Um-hmm! I don't know how I could ever resist."

"This has been such a lovely day!" Lindy commented from beside them. "I have seen so many people here that I haven't spoken to in years."

"Me, too!" Arf added. "I feel a little bad, though. I can't remember everyone's name. That's always embarrassing when they know me but I don't remember them."

"Nanoha! Hey, NANOHA!" a male voice called out from behind their group. They all slowed their pace and turned around to find shaggy blond hair bouncing through the crowd in their direction.

"Yuuno...?" Nanoha whispered when she recognized the figure jogging towards them. She dropped her arms from around Fate's waist and stood completely frozen at the sight.

"Hey, Nanoha!" he said breathlessly. "I didn't know you were here coming today! I would have seen if you wanted to meet up sooner."

Fate's smile fell away completely as she looked back and forth between him and Nanoha. Yuuno then recognized his blunder in not greeting everyone else. "Hey everyone! It's good to see you all again, too."

"Hello, Yuuno," Lindy replied politely with her usual smile. Arf gave him a quick nod in greeting, but Fate said nothing. Vivio suddenly became shy and bent down to speak into Fate's ear.

"I have to go to the bathroom," she tried to whisper, although she said it loud enough for Lindy to hear as well.

"Arf and I will take Vivio to the restroom so you all can catch up," she offered. Fate knelt down so that Vivio could get off of her shoulders. Lindy and Arf guided her over to the long line for the women's restroom, which was currently trailing out the door and down the sidewalk.

"I'm going to get something to drink," Fate said as she stood back up. She abruptly turned and left Nanoha alone to speak with Yuuno in the middle of the park. Unfamiliar and almost dark emotions had made an appearance in Fate the second Yuuno showed up and turned his full attention to Nanoha. She knew it was best to leave before she said something that she didn't really mean to him. Or something she actually did, for that matter.

"So, how's it going?" Nanoha asked him in an attempt to remain casual, even though she now felt completely on edge with the situation she had been left in.

"It's going good. It's really great to see you, by the way. You look beautiful."

"Hmmm... Thank you for the compliment."

"By the way, I talked to your mother recently."

Nanoha tried her best to keep her emotions in check. "So I heard in her last video message. How did that go?"

"Well, she really wanted me to ask you out on a date. She was pretty insistent."

"Is that so?" she replied suspiciously. She turned around to ensure Fate was far enough away that she couldn't have heard his last statement. She was relieved to find her paying for a drink at one of the nearby vendor stands, very much out of earshot. The last thing she wanted was for her to have heard the comment and become upset by it.

"Yeah, it's not the first time she's asked me to," Yuuno continued. "I've tried to tell her that you weren't interested in me like that, and that you never would be. I'm not sure if she believes me or not, though."

"Look Yuuno, you're a nice... Wait, what did you just say?"

Yuuno smiled and put his hands up defensively in front of him. "Don't worry, I didn't tell her _why_ I knew you wouldn't be. I just know that I'm not your type. I've known that for a long time now."

"Oh..." Nanoha said and looked away to the ground. "I actually didn't realize that about myself until recently."

"It's not a big deal or anything, of course. But I'm not going to pressure you to do something that isn't true to who you are. I really just want you to be happy."

Nanoha was finally able to smile for the first time in their conversation. "Thank you. You know, I think I am happier now than I've ever been in my whole life."

"Ah, so there is someone, I take it?" he asked and peered over his glasses at her in a playful manner.

"Maybe...?" she said bashfully and tried to shrug it off, although she could feel herself now blushing quite a bit. Her smile grew brighter the more she thought about Fate and their previous week they had spent together.

Several yards away, Fate found herself staring intently at the carvings in the wooden tabletop she was sitting at. She was trying her best to be patient and not stare at Nanoha and Yuuno chatting together, knowing full well that she should be giving her privacy to speak to whoever she wanted to.

"Hey, is that Fate?!"

Fate turned to find Subaru's face suddenly a few feet from hers. Before she could react, the cheerful girl tackled her from behind in a forceful hug. Nove and Dieci Scaglietti were trailing behind her, both sharing a large pink cotton candy between them.

"Subaru! Hey, you scared me a little there."

"Oh, sorry! I was just happy to see you here! I guess everyone's at the park today."

"Yep, seems like it," she replied with a hint of bitterness. Subaru didn't catch the tone and instead patted her a few times on the shoulder.

"By the way, I'm really glad you didn't get mad over those pics of me and Nanoha together the other night."

Fate's eyes darted over to her. "You and Nanoha together...?"

"Yeah! I mean, Teana was really upset when she saw them. But it isn't any of her business what I do anyway, you know what I mean?"

"I see," Fate said under her breath and turned away to face the tabletop again. Her hands clenched against her thighs as she recalled Nanoha asking her if she had received any pictures the night she returned home from Velvet. Now she knew the reason why.

"Well, that's interesting..." a familiar voice mused from nearby. Fate looked up to see Ginga now approaching the table with her eyes locked on Nanoha and Yuuno in the distance.

"What's interesting?" Subaru asked her. She turned around and followed her sister's train of vision. "Oh, no," she groaned when she saw Nanoha's blushing face as she continued to speak to Yuuno.

Ginga made a motion for Subaru to leave so that she could talk to Fate alone, and the younger girl happily obliged the request. She and the two Scaglietti girls walked away in a completely different direction.

"You doing okay?" Ginga asked her.

"Not really," Fate admitted and tried to keep her hands from shaking any further under the table.

"Maybe Nanoha is just really good at this open relationship thing. You didn't do anything wrong, you know?"

Fate shook her head and swallowed hard. "I guess I was reading too much into what was going on between us. It's my fault. I just thought after this morning... Well, I guess it doesn't really matter now."

"I've been in your position before, Fate. You're going to have to decide if this is something you can handle or not, now that you know what's really going on."

"Maybe so..." Fate summoned the courage to look over at Nanoha and Yuuno again. Just as she turned her head, she saw Nanoha raise on her toes to give Yuuno a kiss on the cheek. Fate bristled at the sight, like someone had just knocked the wind out of her.

Ginga tsk'ed a little. "It really sucks to find out you weren't good enough, huh?"

Fate sprung to her feet and walked away without another word. Ginga didn't try to stop her and instead continued to sit in the same spot at the table. She traced the carvings in wooden tabletop with her finger while she waited patiently.

"Thanks for being so understanding, Yuuno," Nanoha said after she pulled away from kissing him goodbye on the cheek. "You've been really a good friend."

"It's no problem. You really should tell Fate how you really feel about her, though. She will understand. I'm sure of it."

"I think I will. Thank you." Nanoha turned away from him and began to walk back in the direction where she had last seen Fate. Her pace slowed significantly when she spotted Ginga now sitting at the table instead.

"Hello, Nanoha," Ginga greeted her with a casual wave.

Nanoha's eyes immediately scanned the area around them in a slight panic. "Where's Fate-chan?"

"Fate? Oh, she's gone. Long gone."

"What the hell did you do to her?"

Ginga stood up with a smug smile on her face. "I didn't do anything. You did this to yourself."

"Excuse me?! You know, just because Fate-chan didn't pick you doesn't mean - "

"Pick me?!" Ginga interrupted with her voice raising higher. "It has nothing to do with that, Nanoha! I'm not the bad guy here just because I can see what's she's worth and you can't."

"So you're going to make me out to the bad guy instead? Why?!"

"Don't you know that actions speak louder than words? You don't actually care about her feelings. You're just using her!"

"How dare you make assumptions about how I feel towards her! I should just go and tell her what you really are, Ginga. And that's a manipulative bitch!"

Ginga took a step closer and got in her face. "You're seriously going to call _me_ that? I'm so glad you're getting what you deserve, Nanoha. Fate's too good for you."

Nanoha pushed Ginga hard in the shoulders away from her. Ginga paused for half a second before shoving her back, sending her backwards a few steps. Just as Nanoha had regained her balance and was about to charge Ginga fully, Arf came to stand in front of her to block her path.

"That's enough, Nanoha! She's not worth it!" Arf yelled and physically picked her up to usher her away. Nanoha struggled in her grasp for a few moments before resigning herself. She pulled away angrily and adjusted her clothing that had gotten disheveled in the tussle.

Once she had calmed down significantly and was able to focus more on her surroundings, she was grateful to see Lindy had taken Vivio away to a nearby booth to play a game. Remorse and shame filled her when she realized just how close her daughter had come to seeing her lose control.

"Is everything okay?" Lindy asked once she saw her and Arf approaching. "Where's Fate?"

Nanoha shook her head and held back the tears that were threatening to fall. "I don't know where she went," she said quietly.

"Well, let's split up and check the park to see if she's still here. We'll meet up at the front entrance at three o'clock if we can't find her."

"Sounds like a good plan," Arf replied.

Nanoha bent down on her knee to face Vivio. "We're going to try to find your Fate-mama now. Can you handle walking around a little bit more?"

Vivio nodded seriously. "I'm okay."

"Alright, let's go." Nanoha took her by the hand and started leading them on a path opposite the ones Lindy and Arf were taking.

"Why did Fate-mama leave, Mama?" Vivio asked.

"I don't know, baby... I really don't know."

**oOOOo**

The sun was still blazing in the afternoon sky when Nanoha pulled the vehicle into the driveway of their home. She looked at her passengers and couldn't contain her sadness over the situation any longer.

"I'm sorry you are having to go through this," she said to Lindy and Arf. "I'll drop you guys off here at the house and go look for her some more."

Lindy put a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Nanoha? Fate turned off Bardiche's ability to be located. I don't think she really wants to be found right now."

Nanoha looked back to the steering wheel in resignation. She eventually dropped her head and nodded in reluctant agreement. "You're right. I probably should just wait here for her. She will come home when she is ready to talk."

"Why don't we think about some dinner, hmm?"

"Okay," she replied quietly and nodded again.

As they walked inside the house, it took everyone by complete surprise to hear the television on in the living room. The group rounded the corner to find Fate sitting on the couch with a beer in her hand. She gave them all a timid smile in greeting.

"Fate-mama!" Vivio cried and ran towards her on the couch. "Where were you?!"

"I was right here the whole time, sweetie," she replied and pulled her into her lap. "I'm sorry if I worried you. I just needed to come home first, is all."

Vivio hugged her tightly and refused to let go. Nanoha crossed her arms at the sight and tried to avoid giving Fate too many stern looks over making their daughter worry like she had. She knew there was already enough tension between the two of them as it was.

Lindy came to stand beside her daughter on the couch. She ran her hand along her forehead first and then pinched one of her cheeks. "Never again," she scolded her.

"I know. I'm sorry."

"Hey, is anyone else hungry?" Arf asked in an attempt to break the tension. "I could really go for some pizza right now."

"Pizza?!" Vivio gushed. She was instantly off the couch and distracted from her previous worries by the thought of her favorite food instead.

Lindy held her hand out towards Nanoha for the car keys. "We'll take Vivio out to a movie after dinner. You two work this out while we're gone."

"Okay. Thank you, Lindy." Nanoha didn't move from her spot in the living room until the three had left the house again. Fate leaned forward to grab the remote from the coffee table and muted the television.

Once they were gone, Nanoha sat down on the couch next to her. She grabbed the beer from her hand and took a long drink before handing it back to her. Fate fixated on it and avoided Nanoha's eyes that were now boring holes into her.

"So, do you want to tell me what this was all about?" she finally asked.

Fate shrugged once. "I guess I let my emotions get the best of me. You can do what you want with who you want. That's always been the rule."

Nanoha raised her eyebrows in disbelief. "And _who_ am I doing these things with, might I ask?"

"Subaru and Yuuno," she mumbled in return.

Nanoha sighed heavily and realized the full extent of what Ginga was willing to do to get what she wanted. Thoughts of exposing her true nature to Fate crossed her mind, but she pushed the idea away to focus on mending things between them first. "Fate-chan, you don't really think I'm interested in either of them, do you?"

"I wouldn't blame you if you were. I know that I'm probably not enough for you, after all."

"Not enough for me...?" she repeated and attempted to decipher the underlying meaning behind the words. She immediately recalled their experience when they were younger with her biological mother, Precia. She had made Fate feel like she was never good enough, and even went so far as to say that she hated her for it.

"It's okay, Nanoha. I really do understand," Fate continued.

Nanoha raised her hand to move a few stray strands of Fate's hair away from her cheek. "Fate-chan, will you please look at me?"

Fate glanced over at her briefly. Nanoha continued to stare at her expectantly until she had gotten her full attention. "Yes?" Fate asked once their eyes had met.

"This morning, I meant what I said about no one being able to compete with you. I don't have any desire to be with anyone else."

"Well, yeah but - "

"No buts. It's how I feel about you. I need you to understand that."

Fate searched the bright sapphire eyes in front of her, which were now filled with the same earnestness and sincerity that had been present that morning. She eventually had to look away from them, part of her overwhelmed by Nanoha's feelings for her and part in shame for ever doubting her words in the first place.

"I'm sorry, Nanoha."

Nanoha reached for her hand and entwined their fingers. "It's okay, Fate-chan. Neither of us are going to be perfect at this, remember? And you were patient with me when I got jealous earlier this week. Twice, in fact. So now it's my turn."

Fate nodded solemnly and set the bottle down on the coffee table. She then turned and wrapped her arms around Nanoha, who also held her as tight as she could in return. The simple embrace soon escalated into something far more emotional between them. Each soon found themselves clinging to the other in desperation, both trying to convey that they had no desire for anyone else but the person right in front of them.

"Don't ever do that again, okay?" Nanoha said in a shaky voice.

"I won't."

Nanoha pulled back to face her directly. Her hands ran across her shoulders, along her cheeks, and soon entangled in her hair. "You can always count on me to be there for you. You don't have to feel like you're all alone in this."

"Okay," Fate nodded again.

As Nanoha pulled her lips against hers, Fate felt new and unfamiliar emotions begin to surge through her. They were emotions that she yearned to embrace fully, but ones that also caused significant fear if she were to allow them to flourish inside of her, even an inch. Nanoha felt an unfamiliar desire welling up inside of her as well, a need that only Fate could satisfy. She ran her hands along every inch of Fate that she could reach in front of her.

"Touch me back, Fate-chan... Please..."

Fate ran her hands along her back in return, holding on to her as if she couldn't feel her close enough. She was shocked when she felt Nanoha brush away tears from her cheeks that she hadn't even realized had fallen.

"It's okay," Nanoha assured her as a few fell from her own eyes. Fate buried her head in her shoulder and cried softly, even though she didn't exactly understand why she was doing so.

"It still hurts a little," she whispered.

"I know. But no matter what happens, I'll always be here. I promise."

Nanoha held Fate as long as was needed until the tears had passed for both of them. She then guided Fate away gently so that she could retrieve a blanket folded next to them on the couch. After placing it flat on the floor, she laid down and pulled Fate by the hand on top of her.

"I want you to know that you have me, Fate-chan. All of me."

Fate brought her lips against hers again, this time not fighting back any emotions that were poised to crash down on her. Nanoha relished in her tender touch as she moved along the nape of her neck and gave small kisses across her collarbone, all amplified by the notion that Fate was only person she ever wanted to share this experience with.

She soon uttered a low moan when Fate found the curve of her waist with her mouth. Fate recognized Nanoha's desire for her as she arched her hips and begged for her attention between her legs. She touched her with her mouth intimately in return, her tongue tenderly persistent. Her hands continued to explore along the smooth skin under her splayed fingers until they had entered inside of her. She heard Nanoha's cries echoing in her ears, touching her in a way like nothing ever had before.

Every gentle caress pulled at them, dragged them both closer together. Nanoha shivered and shook and clutched at Fate's shoulders for strength as she came closer to her breaking point. Fulfillment shot through her, and Nanoha now truly understood the feeling of being desired and wanted by another person. And it was by the one person she needed the most in the world as well.

When Nanoha finally succumbed to the ecstasy that Fate was so intent to give her, she knew she was changed forever. As she tensed and became flooded with the tidal waves of pleasure, she could feel herself surrender to Fate unconditionally. And as they clung to each other in the aftermath, Fate held on to her as if their world would burst apart if she ever let go.

Nanoha moved Fate's hand to rest on her chest above her still rapidly beating heart. "Fate-chan..." she said breathlessly, "never forget that you are the one who does this to me. That you are the one who makes me feel this way. You're here inside me. It always has been you, and it always will be."

Fate pulled away to face her directly but couldn't find the words to respond. Nanoha recognized her struggle and brought her head down to kiss her instead, knowing that Fate did indeed accept the way she felt about her. She eventually guided her to lay on the blanket beneath her, now fully intent on expressing her own desires for the woman who had captivated her heart completely.

**oOOOo**

Nanoha heard the soft click of the front door opening in her sleep, although she didn't register who or what may be entering into their home at the moment. She and Fate had fallen asleep completely naked on the living room floor, with only a thin blanket currently covering their bodies.

"_Ahem,_" she heard come from above. Her eyes opened and first looked at the feet standing beside her head. She then trailed her vision upwards until she had reached Lindy's face. She found her with her arms crossed over her chest, peering back down at them. Nanoha pulled the blanket up to her neck and glanced over at Fate beside her. She found her naked lover still very much asleep.

"Wow! Good thing Vivio passed out, huh?" Arf said from behind her. Nanoha looked past Lindy and saw her carrying her sleeping daughter in her arms.

"Well, this has certainly been an interesting day," Lindy announced and abruptly turned to leave the room. "But I think I'm ready for bed."

Arf followed her without hesitation. "Right behind you, Lindy."

Nanoha remained completely silent in sheer embarrassment until they had left the room. After hearing the bedroom door click shut, she turned and snuggled up next to Fate again. As she lightly traced her finger along her stomach in an attempt to wake her, she reminded herself that they needed to establish a new rule about having sex in the middle of the living room floor...

...starting tomorrow, that is.

* * *

**A/N:** I will try to get an update out on this faster next time, but I'm also weary about putting out something sub-par if it doesn't feel right. I thank you all for your patience with the timing of the updates this month!


	10. Chapter 10 - An Open Book

**A/N:** First off, thank you so much for all the thoughtful and amazing reviews after the last chapter! They were some of the best I've ever received. Secondly, I sincerely apologize for this **extremely** delayed release. Unfortunately, I had some pressing issues come up these past few weeks that took up all the time I usually devote to writing. I won't bore you guys with the details, but I am anticipating that things will be returning to normal from here on out.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters from or the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha anime, nor any other movie, actor, song, or character referenced or stated in this story.

* * *

******FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS**

by : ~Nissanity~

******Chapter 10 – ****__****An Open Book**

* * *

_~Day 8~_

_A streak of yellow blazed across the night sky before disappearing through the heavy layer of clouds in the atmosphere. Nanoha smiled at the sight above her and leapt off the ground in full pursuit. Fate cleared the clouds and cut her speed nearly in half in anticipation of the chase. She soon spotted the familiar pink trail fast approaching her from the corner of her eye. _

"_You can't catch me, you know?" she teased telepathically. _

"_I could if you didn't cheat."_

_Fate laughed at the ironic accusation."You're the one who always breaks the rules, Nanoha." _

_Once the blond was within her grasp, Nanoha accelerated and reached out her hand to grab her. The moment her fingertips grazed Fate's white cloak, she was gone in a flash. She reappeared half a second later behind her, leaving Nanoha no time to react to the move. Fate's strong arms quickly captured her around the waist._

"_I win," she softly declared in her ear._

_Nanoha pretended that Fate's breath against her skin didn't affect her."It's only because you cheated again," she countered._

_Fate released her hold and guided Nanoha to face her directly. She expected to see defiant sapphire eyes wanting to continue the fight, but she found instead an unexpected softness in Nanoha's expression._

"_What is it?" Fate asked her. Nanoha reached for her hand and continued to seek validation in the burgundy eyes staring back at her. _

"_I want this to be real between us, Fate-chan." _

"_Real... between us?" she repeated in confusion. _

"_Yes. I want to be with you. I want us to be together."_

_Fate smiled in response to the confession. "Whatever you want is fine with me, too. I just want you to be happy, Nanoha..."_

* * *

"_Nanoha..._? Nanoha, wake up..."

Nanoha first heard the sound of Fate's voice calling out to her from somewhere in her dream. Her eyes then fluttered opened when she realized that Fate was trying to wake her. She found her wine-tinted eyes staring down at her in amusement.

"What is it, Fate-chan?" she asked as she rubbed the sleep away from her eyes. The dream remained vivid in her mind, although she was too disoriented at the moment to truly weigh what had happened in it exactly.

"You were talking in your sleep again," Fate told her.

Nanoha's eyes grew wide as she replayed her confession from the dream in her mind. "I was?"

"Yes. But that's not the reason I woke you up." Fate's eyes trailed away from Nanoha's towards her chest. Nanoha looked down as well and found her hand cupping her breast, exactly as she had done in her sleep the previous morning.

"Oops," she said and immediately pulled her hand away.

"I really don't mind," Fate assured her with a smile. "But my mother's already awake this morning. She probably wouldn't want to see that."

"No, definitely not after last night," she replied. She blushed when she recalled the incident with Lindy and Arf walking in on them naked the night before. They had decided it best to sleep in their clothes from the previous day after getting caught, both agreeing that it was punishment for being so careless when they had guests in their home.

"We should probably get up anyway. We need to start getting Vivio ready," Fate then said.

Nanoha rose up from her position next to her on the floor. "I'll come help you with her in a few minutes. I just want to say hi to Lindy first."

Fate sat up as well. "Sounds good. I'll see you in there."

After parting ways with Fate, Nanoha made a detour for a cup of coffee in the kitchen before heading to the dining room. She found Lindy sitting at the head of the table with the Sunday morning newspaper spread out in front of her.

"Good morning," Nanoha greeted as she sat down in the chair beside her.

Lindy nearly fell out of her seat. "Oh, good morning! Sorry, I was so engrossed in this, I didn't even hear you come in."

"That's okay. I'm the same way with it sometimes." Nanoha then held her coffee mug in the air. "Thank you for making coffee this morning."

"Of course. I just hope I didn't make it too strong for everyone else."

Nanoha looked away to the table and could feel her face flush in embarrassment. "So, Lindy... Um, I just wanted to say I'm sorry about last night."

"You don't have to apologize. Arf I and actually found it quite amusing. We're just glad you two could work things out."

"We did. For the most part, at least."

Lindy turned away from the newspaper to give Nanoha her full attention. "Is something else the matter?"

"Maybe? Everything has changed between us, especially after last night. I'm really not sure where we're supposed to go from here."

"Well, how does Fate feel about it?"

"Honestly, I don't really know," Nanoha sighed. "But I guess that's nothing new between us. I tell her how I feel first, and then I'm left wondering if she actually feels the same way I do, or if she's going along with everything just to make me happy."

"So you're worried that she's so wrapped up in your feelings, she might not realize what her own are?"

"That's a really good way to put it, yes."

Lindy hummed thoughtfully. "Well, it's possible that could be an issue for her. Fate has always struggled with her feelings for others because of her mother. The only thing you can do now is give her the chance to show you that she feels the same way you do."

"Give her the chance..." Nanoha mused and became lost in thought in how to accomplish that exactly. After recognizing Nanoha's eyes become distant, Lindy let the conversation subside between them and returned her attention to the newspaper in front of her.

"Chrono and Amy should be here with the twins soon," she mentioned after a few moments.

The comment snapped Nanoha out of her daze and prompted her to look at the clock above the table. "Oh, that's right. I need to help Fate-chan get Vivio ready for the zoo today."

"That sounds like a good idea."

"Are you sure you don't mind taking her without us?" Nanoha asked hesitantly as she stood from the table. "We can still come with you guys. We haven't made any plans for today."

"Don't be silly! I'm excited to see all my grandbabies today. Plus, it gives you two a chance to spend the day together. I know this is your last day off with her before she has to leave on her next mission."

Nanoha tried to ignore the twinge in her stomach at the mention of Fate leaving again in a few days. "That is true. Well, I really do appreciate you doing this, Lindy. I think Vivio is going to have a lot of fun with you today, too."

**oOOOo**

Nanoha knelt in front of Vivio to ensure her shoelaces were double-knotted. "Be good for your grandmother today," she warned her. "Do exactly what she says. That goes for Arf, too."

Vivio nodded seriously. "I will, Mama. I promise."

Lindy opened the front door so that they could leave. Arf guided Vivio out the door towards Chrono's mini-van sitting in the driveway. "Don't worry, Nanoha," Lindy assured her. "Everything will be fine. We'll call you guys to let you know how things are going."

"Please do. Thank you again, Lindy."

After seeing them off for the day, Nanoha journeyed down the hallway and approached her closed bedroom door at the end. Once she was had reached the threshold, she slowly opened the door and found Fate getting dressed on the opposite side of the room. She smiled at her first before running to their bed and jumping onto her side of it.

"Nanoha, what are you doing?" Fate laughed when Nanoha began to roll from side to side on it.

"I just missed this so much!" she said and buried her head into her pillow. "I'm glad Lindy and Arf came to visit, but I can't wait to sleep in our own bed tonight."

Fate crawled onto her side of the bed to join her. "Did they already leave for the zoo?"

"Um-hmm. Chrono and Amy say hi, by the way."

"That's good. So, was there anything in particular you want to do today?"

Nanoha eyed the gap between the two of them on the bed in disapproval. She scooted herself towards Fate to close the distance and wrapped her arms around her. "Not really," she then said. "As long as we are spending the day together, anything we do is fine."

"You really mean that?"

"Of course I do. But what about you? Is there anything you wanted to do today?"

"Whatever you want to do is fine with me, Nanoha."

Nanoha paused when she realized that Fate wasn't about to make a decision in the situation. She then rose up to face her directly. "But it's not just about what I want, Fate-chan. If there is something you want to do, we should go do that."

Fate could help but give her a confused smile in return. "But I haven't thought of anything I wanted to do today. I can think of something though, if you really want me to?"

"No, it's not that. I want you to think of something to do because it's what you want to do."

"Wait, are you saying you want me to _want_ to think of something I want to do?"

Nanoha sighed in frustration and rested her head on top of Fate's chest again. "Damnit..." she whispered.

Fate continued to stare at the top of her head, completely dumbfounded. "Nanoha, is there something I - " she began, but the inquiry was interrupted by a series of loud knocks coming from the front door. They first looked down the empty hallway in unison and then back at each other.

"Do you think they forgot something?" Nanoha asked as she rose from the bed.

"Possibly? Did you lock the door after they left?"

"I can't remember if I did or not, honestly."

Nanoha and Fate both exited the bedroom and made their way down the hallway to answer the door together. When Fate opened the front door, they were both surprised to find Hayate on the other side, dressed in her full commander uniform. Behind her were two uniformed security officers acting as her escort. In front of the house, black sedans with TSAB emblems on the side were parked along the curb.

"Good morning, Nanoha. Hello, Fate," she greeted politely.

"Hayate? You're working on a Sunday?" Nanoha asked.

"Yes, I am. I'm actually here on official business... Nanoha, I'm afraid you're going to have to come with me to headquarters."

Fate came to stand in front of Nanoha protectively. "Hang on a minute, Hayate. What's this all about?"

"It's regarding the incident that occurred between Nanoha and Ginga at Park Road yesterday. That's the only information I can give regarding the matter at this time."

"Wait, what?" Fate said and turned to face Nanoha. "What happened with Ginga yesterday?"

Nanoha shook her head at Hayate in a state of disbelief. "Is this some sort of joke? It wasn't even that big of a deal."

"I'm sorry, but the council thinks otherwise. They want an official statement from you about the incident, and they want it now."

"Fine, whatever," Nanoha huffed and walked out the front door without another word. Fate watched the two security guards turn and escort her down the walkway towards the vehicles parked in front of their house.

"I'm going with her," Fate said and tried to walk out the door next. Hayate put her arm up in the doorway to block her path.

"I'm sorry Fate, but Nanoha is under investigation right now. You won't be able to speak to her again until they release her. You can go to headquarters separately and wait for her there if you wish."

Fate watched Hayate walk away from her in helpless frustration while Nanoha was guided by the officers into the backseat of the first car. As Hayate approached the two vehicles, she directed both of the officers to ride in the second car behind them. One of the uniformed men tried to protest, but Hayate quickly shushed him and entered into the front passenger seat of the first car.

As they drove away with Nanoha, Fate retrieved her cellphone from her pocket and brought up her contact list. After selecting Teana's name and pressing the call icon, she put the receiver to her ear and waited impatiently through the rings while she gathered her keys and her wallet.

"_Hey, Fate. What's up?_"

"Teana, can you do me a favor and find out what happened between Ginga and Nanoha yesterday? I'm on my way to headquarters now. Nanoha is under some sort of investigation, apparently."

**oOOOo**

Once the vehicle entered the freeway, Hayate turned to face Nanoha in the backseat. "Sorry about having to act all official at your house. It was because those officers were there with me. Those security guys are so uptight."

Nanoha sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. "Seriously, isn't this a bit much over something so stupid?"

"Two high-ranking members getting into a fight in public is a pretty big deal, Nanoha. And at a company-sponsored event, no less."

"But it was broken up before we fought, though."

"Still, there was physical contact between you two. The council wants to make you shouldn't face assault charges."

"Hey, I didn't start it! Ginga did."

Hayate grinned at her. "Well, according to the rumors at Velvet last night, you punched her first."

"What the - ? I've only been to that stupid club once! And I didn't punch her! I pushed her away from me when she got in my face."

"Man, I wish I had been there to see that! Good thing there's a video of it, at least."

"Yeah well, I hope there's audio too," Nanoha grumbled. "That way everyone can hear the type of person Ginga really is."

"Maybe so... Although, she did tell me last night that she has no hard feelings towards you. And that she wanted you to know that, too."

Nanoha laughed bitterly. "Yeah, right. Why would she say that all of a sudden, after the terrible things she said to me yesterday?"

Hayate turned to face forward again as they approached headquarters. "Eh, she was probably just trying to cover her ass once she realized the rumors were getting out of control."

"Rumors she probably started herself. Is she being called in about this, too?"

"She's already been at headquarters for a while, actually. You probably won't see her, though. She's giving her statement in a separate room."

Hayate's driver parked directly in front of the building and the second vehicle pulled in close behind them. The officers opened the rear passenger door for Nanoha and escorted her inside the building. As she was led towards the elevators, she caught a glimpse of Subaru and Teana talking near a row of vending machines on the opposite side of the lobby. Teana gave Nanoha a sympathetic look once she recognized it was her, although Subaru didn't seem to notice her arrival.

Hayate pushed the elevator button to take them all to a higher floor. "Don't worry too much, Nanoha. Just tell them exactly what happened yesterday and you'll be fine."

Fate arrived at headquarters a few minutes after Nanoha had been led upstairs and began searching for anyone who might have more information. Teana saw her enter into the lobby and excused herself from Subaru to speak to her. She noticed Fate looking somewhat distressed over the situation.

"Fate, over here!" Teana called out.

"Teana!" Fate replied and jogged in her direction. "Hey, what did find out?"

"I don't think it's too big of a deal. The council is just overreacting like they always do."

"Okay, good," Fate sighed in relief. "With the way Hayate was acting this morning, I thought Nanoha was in serious trouble."

"Well, she and Ginga aren't in the clear just yet. Subaru said they almost got into a fight yesterday at Park Road. The commanders aren't exactly happy about it."

Fate stared back at Teana in confusion. "But that doesn't sound right. Why would they want to fight each other?"

"I guess it had something to do with you being upset with Nanoha about Yuuno? That's all that Subaru knows. Ginga didn't really want to talk about it."

"Oh..." Guilt flooded over Fate once she realized the fight had most likely started over her own actions in the first place. "I guess this is all my fault, huh?"

Teana recognized Fate's anguished look and put a hand on her shoulder to try to comfort her. "Hey, don't beat yourself up over it. It sounds like everyone just overreacted a little."

"But why would Ginga do that, though? It doesn't even make sense."

"I think it has to do with her wanting to be with you. Maybe she's a little jealous of Nanoha?"

Fate shook her head in denial. "But Ginga's not attracted to me anymore. She told me she was waiting for someone else, and that they just needed time to realize they wanted to be with her, too."

"I'm pretty sure she meant you in that case, Fate. Last time I checked, anyway."

"Well, none of that matters anyway. I want to be with Nanoha. Nothing's going to change that."

Teana raised her eyebrows in surprise at the confidence in her statement. "Well, that's certainly a different attitude from the last time we talked. It sounds like you're pretty serious about the way you feel about her now."

"I am. And she feels the same way about me. I know she does."

"Hmmm, I guess we should all be so lucky..." Teana pondered and briefly glanced over in Subaru's direction. "You know, I think if you told Ginga how you felt about Nanoha, she would respect that. People just want to know where they stand with each other, even if they don't like where that is exactly."

"I think I'll do that. So, what about you and Subaru? Are you guys still having issues?"

Teana chuckled a little. "That's an understatement. We're just a couple of idiots who don't know what we want from each other. But I did make a decision that I was going to talk to Subaru about. Nanoha gave me some good advice the other day that really helped."

"That's good. I'll make sure she knows... that..." Fate trailed off once she spotted Ginga emerging from the elevators and making her way into the lobby. She immediately left her conversation with Teana and began walking in her direction. Subaru spotted her sister at the same time and then observed Fate's expression change the closer she got to her. She and Teana starting jogging after them to mediate any conflict that could potentially arise.

"Hey, Fate! Look, about what happened - " Ginga began to say.

"What did you do to Nanoha yesterday?" Fate interrupted, her voice much louder and harsher than her usual tone.

"I didn't do anything to her," she replied with a bitter tone of her own. "You were upset, so I stayed to talk with her after you left."

"And then what? How did you almost get into a fight with her?"

"I was just trying to protect you, alright? I'm your friend. I don't want to see you get hurt."

"So you hurt Nanoha instead? That's your way of protecting me?!"

Teana stepped in between the two before the conversation could escalate any further. "Alright, calm down guys. Have you forgotten that we're here because of something like this already?"

Ginga stared at Fate's fiery eyes and recognized anger and pain directed solely at her, but she refused to back down from her stance. "I'm not sorry for what I did. You weren't willing to stand up for yourself, so I did it for you. If that makes me a bad person, then so be it."

Fate clenched her fists in frustration, a gesture Teana and Subaru both caught from the corner of their eyes. "I don't need you to protect me from Nanoha," she seethed. "She is the most important person in my life. If you can't respect that, then we can't be friends anymore."

Ginga physically flinched at Fate's statement, which cut her deep in more ways than one. She eventually had to look away to the ground, her expression turning to that of grief and disappointment. Subaru came to stand beside her sister and reached for her hand.

"Come on, Ginga," she said and pulled her towards the exit. "You guys can talk about it later when things have calmed down."

Teana waited until the two had left the building before attempting to speak to Fate again. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she replied, although her hands and voice were still a little shaky. "I'm sorry about that. I got more upset than I thought I would once I saw her."

"It's alright. I'm sure you guys can work it out eventually. I do think she was telling the truth about wanting to protect you from getting hurt. She just went about it the wrong way."

Fate sighed and sat down on the bench next to them. "I don't want to deal with that right now. I'm just going to wait for Nanoha here until she's done."

"I understand. I'm going to let you have some space for now. But if you need anything, you have my number."

"Alright. Thanks, Teana. I appreciate you helping me out with this."

"It's no problem. I'll talk to you soon, okay?"

Fate leaned back on the bench and watched Teana exit through the automatic doors of the lobby. She felt twinges of remorse over her confrontation with Ginga, but she chose to ignore them for the time being. She decided it was best to focus on calming her nerves while she waited for Nanoha to be finished with the investigation instead.

**oOOOo**

Thirty minutes passed before Nanoha finished her statement regarding the incident and was released. As she emerged from the elevators and entered into the lobby, Fate stood from the bench and walked in her direction. She smiled at her as she approached, filling Nanoha with a sense of relief that she wasn't mad at her over the situation.

"Hey, how did it go?" Fate asked her.

"It went okay. After they reviewed the witness statements and saw the video, they decided I wasn't the one who started it."

"So how much trouble is Ginga in?"

"Not too much. I told them I didn't want to see her punished, since she claims she was just protecting you. But she is on probation for a year, and we both have to attend anger management classes."

Fate's eyes grew wide in response to the decision, although a small part of her wanted to laugh at the thought as well. "I'm sorry you have to go through all of this," she chose to say instead. "I know I'm the reason this all happened in the first place."

Nanoha shook her head at her. "That's not true, Fate-chan. I don't feel that way at all. I'm actually surprised you're not mad at me for not telling you."

"Well, I do wish I had found out from you first," she admitted. "But I'm not upset with you. I know it wasn't your fault it happened."

Nanoha sighed as they walked towards the lobby exit. "So, is anyone else still here?"

"Teana was, but she left after Subaru and Ginga did. She said she made a decision about her situation with Subaru, and that your advice helped her out."

"That's good. I'm glad to hear that. I really hope it goes well for them."

Fate wrapped her arm around Nanoha's shoulder as they made their way to the parking lot. "So, we still have some time before they're done at the zoo. Are you still up for doing something today?"

"Um-hmm! Like I said earlier, as long as I get to spend the day with you, I'm happy."

"Good, because there's a place I've been wanting to show you for a while now."

Nanoha entered their vehicle as the passenger and smiled at Fate as she climbed into the driver's seat. "You're really deciding what we're doing today?"

Fate returned her smile and started the car. "I am. I just hope you like it."

"I'm sure I will," she replied and reached for Fate's hand. They both shared small, affectionate glances with each other as they rode in a comfortable silence, soon exiting the city all together.

The hum of the tires on the pavement as well as Fate's gentle presence soon began to lull Nanoha to sleep. "You should take a nap," Fate suggested when she saw her nodding off. "We still have a ways to go."

"I think I might. Thank you."

Nanoha wrapped her arms around Fate's and shifted into a more comfortable position against her. She allowed herself to enter into a light sleep with her head resting against her shoulder. Fate did move once to to find a classical music station on the radio, which further helped calm Nanoha's nerves after the stressful situation she had endured that morning. Once they had finally reached their destination, Fate pushed Nanoha's bangs away from her forehead, a gentle gesture meant to wake her.

"We're here, Nanoha."

It took several moments of blinking against the bright sunlight before Nanoha was able to fully focus her eyes. She first looked out the driver's side window and caught sight of lush green grass with small blue flowers dotting the landscape. She turned to face the front windshield and discovered they were parked in the middle of an uninhabited meadow. There was a hill in front of them, with an oak tree situated at the very top.

"Oh my god..." she said at the breathtaking sight. "Fate-chan, where did you find this place?"

"I saw it once when we were doing training in the area. I'm not sure if anyone else knows about it."

Nanoha opened her car door and was enveloped by the warm breeze passing over the area. Fate exited her door as well and retrieved the spare blanket they kept in the back of the vehicle. Fate watched Nanoha climb to the top of the hill to look out above the horizon.

"You can see the whole city from up here!" she exclaimed.

Fate joined her a few seconds later. "The view is my favorite part of this place."

Nanoha helped unfold the blanket so that they could sit and enjoy the scenery together. Fate sat on the blanket first and leaned her back against the tree. Nanoha knelt down in front of her and pushed her knees apart without explanation. Fate couldn't help but laugh when Nanoha then turned around and maneuvered herself to sit in between them. She finally took Fate's arms and wrapped them around her waist for her.

"There, that's better," Nanoha declared as she leaned back, with her head coming to rest against Fate's chest.

"It is."

Nanoha raised her hand towards the clear sky all around them. "You know what I miss the most, Fate-chan?"

"What's that?"

"I miss flying with you. I know we sometimes go up to do training and all that. But remember when we used to spend the nights together, just you and me?"

Fate laughed and held her a bit tighter. "How could I forget? I used to get in trouble all the time for sneaking out with you. You were a terrible influence on me."

"Nyahaha! Yeah, I guess I was. But our parents never did try to stop us from doing it, if you really think about it."

"They didn't. But I think they just wanted us to be happy."

Nanoha reached for the ruby orb against her chest. "My mother still hasn't responded to my last video message yet," she mentioned.

"I'm sure it's nothing. They probably just got busy at the cafe this weekend."

"I hope that's it."

"Hey, Nanoha... Can I ask you something?" Fate asked suddenly. She could feel her heart being to race in her chest as she gathered the courage to approach the subject weighing on her mind.

"Sure. What is it?"

"Do you want this to be real between us?"

Nanoha could feel her face immediately flush a bright red in response. "W-Why would you ask me something like that?" she stammered.

"I heard you say that in your sleep. I was just curious, is that something you really want?"

"Well... Actually, what I really want is to hear what _you_ want to happen between us."

"What I want to happen?"

"Yes. I need to know that you aren't going to just go along with what I want. That wouldn't be fair to either of us."

Fate searched the imploring blue eyes staring back her, ones that almost matched the sky around them. She found herself at a loss for words again, similar to what had occurred the previous evening. A torrent of emotions were now building inside of her, filling her with a nervousness that she was going to say the wrong thing that didn't match what she actually felt inside.

"What am I supposed to say right now?" she asked quietly.

"Just tell me how you feel about us, Fate-chan. Don't worry how it comes out. Just say it."

"Nanoha, I... um..." Fate began and then looked away for a moment to collect her thoughts. She soon met Nanoha's eyes again when she finally found the words she felt she needed to say.

"Nanoha, I don't want to pretend like this is less that what it is anymore. I want it to be real between us, too. It_ is_ real to me already. I know you and I are meant to be together. And a part of me thinks that maybe it was always supposed to be that way. But I want to be able to say that I'm yours now at least, and that you want to be mine, too."

Nanoha took a shallow breath. "Fate.. cha..." was all she could barely get out.

"I hope that was okay?"

"Um-hmm," she nodded as the tears began to flood her eyes. She eventually had to close them and cover her face with her hands, her shoulders shaking as she cried silently. Fate held her close and waited patiently for her to recover.

"Are you alright?" she ventured once she seemed to calm down after a few moments.

"Yes, I'm fine," Nanoha replied in shaky voice. She brushed away the few remaining tears with her fingers and shook her head a little. "I'm sorry, I'm not even sure why I'm crying right now. But I liked what you said."

"Good, because I meant every word of it."

Nanoha sighed and lean herself into Fate even further. "How much time do we have together here?"

"A while, I think. I'm sure my mother will send me a message when they're leaving the zoo."

"Okay. I just want to enjoy this place with you for as long as I can."

Fate smiled and kissed her on top of her head. "Whatever you want to do is fine with me, Nanoha."

**oOOOo**

Nanoha and Fate entered their home and were met with Lindy and Arf's luggage sitting in the front entrance way. They shared a nervous look together and quickly made their way into the living room. They found the two women slumped on the couch in seeming exhaustion, with Vivio no where in sight.

"She's taking a nap in her room," Arf said before they could even ask.

"Oh," Nanoha replied hesitantly. "How did it go with her at the zoo?"

Lindy mustered the best smile she could. "Vivio was an absolute dream today. Those twins, though..."

"I really don't know how Amy and Chrono do it," Arf added and continued to stare into space in front of her.

Fate breathed a sigh of relief at the news, knowing Nanoha's reaction would not have been pleasant if Vivio hadn't behaved herself. "Did you guys want to stay for dinner?" she then asked.

Lindy and Arf both stood up from the couch in unison. "Honestly, I think we're ready to check into our hotel room now," Lindy replied. "We'll probably just order room service and call it a night."

Nanoha snuck a peak at the clock on the wall and noticed it was only five in the afternoon. "How bad do you think those twins were?" she whispered to Fate.

"They must be holy terrors," she replied. She and Nanoha led the women to the front door and lugged their suitcases out to the car for them. Lindy and Arf walked slowly after them, both sore and exhausted from the day they had endured.

"Thank you so much for coming to visit us," Nanoha said once their luggage had been loaded.

"And thank you for having us," Lindy replied sincerely. "This really has been the best visit. I feel so much closer to you girls now."

"For me, too," Arf added. "But this isn't goodbye. We'll probably see you at the conference tomorrow."

"That's true," Nanoha replied. "I'll be sure to find you guys. Maybe we can have lunch."

Fate made a detour to say goodbye to Nanoha while Lindy and Arf got into the vehicle. "I'll be back in a little bit," she told her.

"Okay. I'll get started on dinner while you're gone. It should be ready by the time you get back."

Fate smiled and began to turn away, but Nanoha reached for her hand and pulled her close before she could leave. They shared a kiss goodbye in front of the car, one that lasted much longer than either had anticipated. Fate only pulled away when her heard the driver's side window roll down behind her.

"You'll be back in thirty minutes, Fate!" Arf yelled out the open window.

"Alright, alright! I'm coming."

Nanoha waved to them one last time as they backed out of the driveway and pulled into the street. She walked back inside the house and leaned against the front door, her heart now soaring after the kiss with Fate that she could still feel tingling on her lips.

Vivio soon emerged from her bedroom and ran towards the living room. "Where's Grandma and Arf?" she asked, her voice laced with disappointment when she found the couch now empty.

"They had to go to their hotel room for tonight," Nanoha replied. "They didn't want to wake you up from your nap. But you'll see them again before they have to leave, okay?"

"Okay..." Vivio sighed. Her shoulders sagged dramatically as she walked down the hallway towards her mother. She then surprised her by falling against her legs and wrapping her arms around her waist.

"What's that for?" Nanoha asked as she smiled down at her. She moved Vivio's bangs away from her forehead and out of her eyes affectionately.

"Just because I love you, Mama."

"I love you too, Vivio. I'm going to get dinner started now so that we can eat when Fate-mama gets back."

"Okay. Can I play my dancing game until then?"

"Alright. But you have come eat dinner when I call you, no matter what."

"Deal!" Vivio exclaimed and immediately ran away from her and into the living room. Nanoha made sure that she was able to start the game before making her way to the kitchen to prepare dinner for their family.

As she pulled out all the ingredients she needed from the pantry and refrigerator, she found herself openly smiling as she replayed the confession Fate had made to her that afternoon. She found it to be incredibly endearing, sincere, and truly the sweetest thing anyone had ever told her in her life. To her, it was perfect.

Nanoha had just finished setting the table and had returned to the kitchen to retrieve the main dish when she heard the front door open and then shut again. She pretended to fuss over something on the stove as she waited for Fate to come into the kitchen. She first heard her stop in the living room to say hi to Vivio before coming to find her next.

"Hey," Fate greeted from the doorway.

"Hi. How was the hotel?"

Fate smiled and crossed the kitchen in her direction. She wrapped her arms around Nanoha's waist and looked over her shoulder towards the food on the stove. "It was nice. I didn't stay long, though. I wanted to get back home as soon as I could."

"I'm glad you're back," Nanoha replied softly. She closed her eyes and leaned into her further, letting Fate's warmth envelop her completely. Fate continued to embrace her in return, she too allowing herself to get lost in the moment.

"I caught you guys again!" Vivio suddenly teased from the doorway of the kitchen. Fate pulled away immediately and watched Vivio run out of the room with a huge grin on her face. Nanoha giggled and reached for the pot holders sitting on the counter.

"Should that be another rule? No more hugging in the kitchen?" Fate asked her.

"Not at all," Nanoha replied as she picked up the dish from the stove. Before passing her by, she stopped to kiss her on the cheek. "In fact, I think we should just get rid of all the rules from now on."

Fate grabbed the salad bowl and followed her into the dining room. "You would say that. You were always breaking the rules anyway."

"You're right. But rules are meant to be broken. Well, the stupid ones are, at least."

"Oh, yeah? Which ones were the stupid ones again?"

Nanoha smiled and winked at her from across the table. "They all were."

**oOOOo**

Fate slowly shut Vivio's door after putting her to bed, making sure not to let it click shut and potentially wake her up again. The late afternoon nap had caused her to be more energetic than usual for that time of night, which Fate had to combat with two bedtimes stories instead of just one.

Nanoha turned the last of the lights off at the same time, leaving just the faint glow of their bedroom light at the end of the hall. "Are you ready for bed, too?" Nanoha whispered to Fate.

Even in the dimly lit hallway, Fate easily found Nanoha's hand. "I am. How about you?"

"Um-hmm."

Fate allowed herself to be guided towards their bedroom. "I'm looking forward to sleeping in our own bed tonight," she mentioned.

"Me, too," Nanoha replied as she pulled her into the bedroom.

Fate wrapped her arm around Nanoha's waist and drew her in closer once they were beside their bed. She brought their hands up together and touched the corner of Nanoha's smile. "You look happy," she mentioned.

"I am. I've thinking about you all night. I like the thought of being yours, Fate-chan."

"You do?" she asked hopefully, her expression changing to one of surprise.

Nanoha stepped closer to her, their eyes meeting and their bodies brushing up against each others. "Yes. More than anything in this world."

Fate leaned her head forward but never broke their gaze. "I like the thought of it too, Nanoha."

"I want you to show me," Nanoha told her softly, their faces mere inches from each other.

Fate's hands moved along the curve of Nanoha's back and then down her waist. "Show you what?"

"How much you want me to be yours, too."

The distance between them diminished, with Fate finding Nanoha's soft lips with her own. She experienced her sweet taste first, the feel of soft skin of her neck under her fingertips next, and the sound of Nanoha's breath against her ear. She etched those sensations into her memory as she continued to explore all the parts of Nanoha exposed to her.

When Fate knelt down to lightly kiss and nibble at her stomach, Nanoha gasped and ran her fingers through the blond hair beneath her. The feel of Fate's lips and teeth on her skin felt like shocks of electricity passing through her.

"I want this with you, Fate-chan," she whispered. "I want you to be mine."

Fate looked up and met the brilliant and earnest sapphire eyes with her own. "You already have me, Nanoha."

"Fate-chan..."

Fate stood up again, her hands raising to cup Nanoha's face. "I'm already yours," she said as she brought her forehead to rest against hers. "And I'll always be yours, no matter what happens."

Nanoha closed her eyes and nodded, fully accepting her words and the sentiment behind them. Fate held the ends of Nanoha's shirt and slowly moved it up her body until it had been removed completely. There was no rush as they undressed each other in the middle of their bedroom floor, with their careful gestures further building the intimacy between them.

As Fate laid Nanoha on the bed beneath her, her hands explored her skin as if she had never touched her before. There wasn't a spot she did not reach, nor an inch she didn't yearn to taste. Nanoha succumbed completely in return. She wanted Fate to know and master her body, no matter how long it took. Never wanting it end.

"I love the way you make me feel," she murmured. Fate paused before her lips could meet the bend at her waist. She laid her head gently on her stomach and looked up at her.

"You're beautiful, Nanoha. I hope I can always make you feel that way."

The sincerity in her words and the inflection in her voice brought tears to Nanoha's eyes. "You do," she replied and brushed the tears away that were threatening to fall. "You make me feel beautiful, Fate-chan."

Unlike the previous times spent together, the goal was not the release but all the moments they shared leading up to it. Nanoha's desire to be touched was matched with Fate's own passion to give it. Soon, Nanoha's need to express the way she felt as well overtook her own pleasure.

"Wait," she said breathlessly. Fate pulled away to let her turn on the bed completely and lay on top of her. She allowed Nanoha the access she yearned for before returning her attention between her legs again. She gasped when Nanoha's persistent tongue began to touch her at the same time.

"Oh, god..." she moaned. Nanoha whimpered as Fate's tongue resumed stroking and thrusting against her as well. As they both gave and took from each other, the already intense exchange escalated to a level they could have never imagined possible.

Nanoha was the first to struggle to hold on to the final threads of self-control. Tremors shook her body and her mind nearly went blank, focusing solely on Fate and what they were experiencing together. The knowledge of Nanoha's climax only fueled Fate's arousal further, even as Nanoha could no longer sustain her pace in giving. She dug her fingernails into Fate's thighs when she approached her peak, sending the blood roaring through Fate's veins in turn.

It was too much. Too intense for either to hold back any longer. They both muffled their cries against each other through their first simultaneous rush, falling into a world together they had never been to before. Neither knew how long they endured the spasms within, one ending and the next beginning in a chain of seemingly endless ecstasy.

"Fate... cha..." Nanoha gasped once the waves had finally subsided.

Fate swallowed hard as she stared at the ceiling, her voice too far gone to be able to give any response. She waited until Nanoha had turned around again to collapse against her. She wrapped her arms around her as tight as she could, almost afraid the experience might slip away from her if she were to ever let go.

In the midst of their passion-filled embrace, the two missed the alert that came from the ruby orb resting on the nightstand beside them. And as they fell asleep in each others arms, neither realized that Nanoha had just received the newest video message from her mother.

_(continued under the sequel story entitled **Unbreakable**)_

* * *

**A/N:** Again, thanks again to everyone who has made it this far in the story. We still have a ways to go with it, as the girls will now be transitioning from friendship to an actual relationship together. I'll see you again in the next story, **Unbreakable** ~Nissanity~


End file.
